SCRANTON -- Three and a half years after a devastating fire in Scranton that killed two young brothers, the man convicted of setting that fire learned Friday that he will spend the rest of his life in prison.
William Woods was sentenced by a judge at the Lackawanna County Courthouse in Scranton. But, Woods was already in a state prison in western Pennsylvania. The hearing was done by video conference.
Woods received two life sentences, one for each boy who was killed. Plus, an additional 37-74 years for the slew of other arson charges he was convicted of.
Tyaisha Leary of Scranton left the Lackawanna County courthouse with some comfort knowing her ex-boyfriend, William Woods, will live out his life in a jail cell.
Leary testified in trial last year, that back when she and Woods were dating, Woods threatened to harm her.
Those threats lead to a devastating fire at Leary's home in west Scranton. Leary and her oldest son escaped but her two younger sons 9-year-old Taevon Miles and 10-year-old Michael Miles were trapped on the second floor and killed.
Woods was arrested for setting the fire in 2010. And charged with first degree murder. Three and a half years after the fire, woods finally heard his sentence. Two life terms plus an additional 37-74 years in state prison.
Speaking from a TV screen via video conference Woods said, "None of you guys looked for another suspect, you put it on me from day one. When I do come back for an appeal I want the prosecutors to be sued, and the county...I`m the victim, I lost my kids, I loved my kids."
"Look it, we follow the evidence wherever it leads us, and the evidence lead to him in the moments after the fire. He had previously threatened to burn the house down," said Lackawanna County District Attorney Andy Jarbola.
Woods' case was an unusually long one for Jarbola and his team. There's closure for prosecutors, but Taevon and Michael's family say they'll never truly be done with william woods.
"It may be over but it's not, I started serving my life sentence the day my kid's died. So, he's not the only one who's serving a sentence," Leary said.
Woods appeared on a TV screen in the courtroom during his hearing, this is the first time a sentencing has been done by video conference in Lackawanna County. From that prison in western Pennsylvania, Woods told prosecutors and the judge he plans to appeal his conviction.