The audio version of this story is AI generated and is not human reviewed. It may contain errors or inaccuracies. The man accused of setting fire to Mississippi’s largest synagogue because of its “Jewish ties” will remain in jail as he awaits trial, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.  This p hoto provided to Mississippi Today, of a Snapchat account labeled “Spencer,” shows Stephen Spencer Pittman, 19, who has been indicted on state and federal arson charges in the Jan. 10, 2026, fire that heavily damaged Mississippi’s largest synagogue. Stephen Spencer Pittman, 19, of Madison, pleaded not guilty to an arson charge Tuesday during his first in-person appearance in court. An investigator testified that Pittman’s parents – who were not named in court – had become afraid of their son in the weeks leading up to the attack, even considering locking their bedroom doors at night. Pittman was living at his parents’ house while on break from college but had made antisemitic comments, including telling a person he knew at a gym that he wanted to burn a synagogue the day before the alleged attack, the investigator testified.  The Beth Israel Congregation synagogue in northeast Jackson was heavily damaged in the Jan. 10 predawn fire. Pittman was indicted five days later on the federal charge of using fire to maliciously damage or destroy a building involved in interstate commerce. Pittman – who usually goes by his middle name – made his first appearance in federal court on Jan. 12 after authorities filed a sworn statement about charges he could face. He appeared then by video conference from a hospital where he was being treated for burns. Attorneys went back and forth Tuesday over whether Pittman committed a “crime of violence,” a legal standard permitting the government to detain a defendant pre-trial, when he allegedly burned the synagogue.  U.S. Magistrate Court Judge LaKeysha Greer Isaac did not rule on that argument, but she found the prosecution had shown that Pittman posed a threat to prospective witnesses, particularly his parents. The judge did not deem Pittman a flight risk, due to his third-degree burns and lack of discernable income.  Though his name does not appear on the docket, the U.S. Marshals Service is holding Pittman at the Madison County detention center, where federal defendants are typically held, a spokesperson told Mississippi Today. He appeared in court Tuesday wearing an orange jumpsuit, with both hands heavily bandaged except for his right thumb.  Pittman was indicted on state and federal arson charges last week after he allegedly broke into the synagogue, doused the lobby in gasoline and set it on fire.  Despite his alleged confession, Pittman has not been charged with a federal hate crime. In Hinds County Circuit Court, he is facing an enhanced first-degree arson charge under a Mississippi law punishing “offenses committed for discriminatory reasons.” If convicted, Pittman’s federal charges carry up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. It is not clear when he will make an initial appearance in state circuit court, nor has one been scheduled, according to a court administrator. As the federal judge considered whether Pittman should remain jailed, the prosecution introduced a witness, FBI Special Agent Ariel Williams, who testified about the circumstances leading up to the synagogue fire.  Williams said the FBI had interviewed two people Pittman knew from a gym. Pittman had allegedly expressed antisemitic views, including telling one of the people “that he wanted to burn a synagogue” he day before the attack. This was not the only red flag the government said Pittman made in the lead up to his alleged attack. In an affidavit, the federal government previously described text messages that Pittman sent his father as he was on his way to the synagogue, including “there’s a furnace in the back,” “Btw my plate is off,” “Hoodie is on” and “and they have the best cameras.” Later that day, Williams testified that Pittman’s father confronted him about the “somewhat erratic messages” after noticing burns on Pittman’s hands and ankles. The government alleged the son then confessed to his father.  But his parents were afraid of how Pittman would react if he was home while they contacted law enforcement, so they “devised a plan,” Williams testified. She said Pittman’s mother took him to the University of Mississippi Medical Center so his father could contact law enforcement separately.   Williams testified the mother told law enforcement that they had recently noticed a change in their son: He began making antisemitic statements, the “family pets were afraid” of Pittman and his mother was considering “locking their bedroom doors at night.” In one incident, Williams said Pittman nearly “got up and jumped at” his parents after making an offensive remark to his mother, but Williams did not describe the remark.  Though Pittman claimed in a pretrial services report that he was employed as a day trader, the court could not substantiate his income, with his federal public defender, Mike Scott, telling the judge: “There is no income.”  A friend of Pittman told Mississippi Today that Pittman made social media posts flaunting screenshots of his bank account that appeared to show hundreds of thousands of dollars.  Pittman’s detention comes as the Beth Israel Congregation has seen an outpouring of local support after of the fire. The blaze charred parts of the synagogue, left smoke damage throughout and destroyed two Torahs. The fire was set in the same part of the one-story brick building that Ku Klux Klan members bombed in 1967 because the congregation’s rabbi supported civil rights. Last week, dozens of people attended the city of Jackson’s prayer service with time allotted to uplift the congregation. Update 1/20/2026: This article has been updated to show the suspect’s parents considered locking their bedroom doors for safety. Mina Corpuz contributed to the reporting.  ...read more read less