Man Brags About Catching People On Fire 'Like In The Movie 'Money Train''

[bloodrayne]

Man Boasted About Burning People Hours Before He Ignited Cabbie

James Scholl could face the death penalty if convicted of murdering Pairoj Chitprasart during a botched robbery.

Las Vegas, Nevada — A former acquaintance of murder defendant James Scholl said the accused killer bragged about his ability to light people on fire during robberies just hours before he allegedly ignited a cab driver outside a strip club.

"He conveyed to me that there were certain things he would do to better his situation," Sheldon Hudson told jurors Friday. "He told me he was the type of person who would, if need be, set someone on fire."

Scholl is accused of dousing cab driver Pairoj Chitprasart with gasoline and then lighting him on fire when the 51-year-old Thai immigrant would not hand over his evening's fares on Aug. 20, 2004.

Hudson, a former crack addict who admitted he was drinking and taking antidepressants and painkillers when Scholl confided in him, testified that the defendant told him the idea came from the 1995 movie "Money Train."

In the movie, characters attempt to rob subway attendants by pouring gasoline in token booths and threatening to light them on fire. Several copycat attacks were reported on the New York City subway system after the movie was released.

"He said, 'You remember the movie? I'm the type of person would do that,'" Hudson said.

When cab driver Chitprasart ran out of his vehicle onto Las Vegas Boulevard engulfed in flames, a man driving by helped to extinguish the fire. Chitprasart suffered from third-degree burns over more than 70 percent of his body and died several days later.

Police apprehended Scholl in a downtown Las Vegas transient motel shortly after the attack, when an acquaintance called a police tip line and told investigators that he bragged about the incident.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty because of the heinous nature of the crime.

"He was a friendly type of person when I met him," Hudson testified. "As time went on ... it just seemed like his condition deteriorated."

Prosecutors are expected to rest their case Monday, and Scholl's attorneys indicated they will present a brief single-day case.

[mothermold]

Originally posted by bloodrayne
Hudson, a former crack addict who admitted he was drinking and taking antidepressants and painkillers

oh that's a recipe for mayhem!