SAN DIEGO — A 19-year-old San Diego sailor was so unhappy with his life as a deck seaman after failing to become a Navy SEAL that, in the summer of 2020, he snuck into a vehicle storage area on the amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard and ignited a spark, according to Navy prosecutors. That spark turned into a blaze that, over the next four days, burned and destroyed the $1.2 billion warship, they said.
That's the story Navy Cmdr. Leah O'Brien told a judge during opening statements in the court-martial of Seaman Recruit Ryan Mays that kicked off this week. Over the past two days, prosecutors have begun to lay the foundation of their case for arson — a charge that could send the sailor to prison for life if found guilty.
Mays, now 21, is charged with aggravated arson and the willful hazarding of a vessel. He denies the charges and officially entered a plea of not guilty Monday morning at the start of the proceedings at Naval Base San Diego. The sailor waived his right to a trial by military jury. The case is being heard by the military judge, Navy Capt. Derek Butler, who will be tasked with rendering a verdict and sentencing Mays should he be convicted.
