Man gets life in jail for fatal burning of girlfriend in Bucks motel fire

A Philadelphia man who threw a Wawa coffee cup filled with gasoline at his girlfriend in a Bensalem motel last spring and set her on fire, killing her, was sentenced to life in prison on Monday.

Kevin Lamar Small, 46, of Philadelphia, was given life plus 68 to 136 years in prison by a Bucks County judge after pleading guilty to first-degree murder in the death of Melissa Bacon Smith, 46.

Prosecutors had planned to seek the death penalty, but dropped that plan in exchange for Small's guilty plea, according to the Bucks County District Attorney's Office.

The couple were at the Lincoln Motel in Bensalem late on May 14 when they began arguing. Smith wanted to end the relationship. Small had called her numerous times that night at the beer store where she worked, from which he had been banned for harassing her, prosecutors said.

At the hotel, Small became angry, went to Wawa, filled a coffee cup with gasoline, and purchased matches. He returned to the motel room and flung the gasoline on Smith, who was smoking. Her face caught fire, and she was found dead by emergency responders after Small had fled.

Guests were evacuated, but no one else was injured. The blaze gutted the motel and caused $1.8 million in property damage, prosecutors said.

Small was also charged with two counts of arson, one count of risking a catastrophe, 42 counts of recklessly endangering another person, and one count of possessing an instrument of crime.

Smith left behind four children, the youngest age 22, the District Attorney's Office said.

"For him to have no remorse, there are no words for that because she was our mother. She gave birth to us," said her daughter, Shaina White, at the sentencing, according to a news release from the District Attorney's Office.

Small did not speak at the sentencing, but his public defender said he knew Smith's death was his fault and had previously told his mother he would "pay a price in the afterlife."