Accused Gallery Furniture arsonist ruled incompetent to stand trial

Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, March 27, 2012

HOUSTON — The man accused of setting the fire that devastated Gallery Furniture's warehouse and severely damaged the adjacent store here was ruled incompetent to stand trial because of a tumor pushing into his brain that's causing cognitive defects.

The Houston Chronicle reported that Robert Carroll Gillham, 69, will be sent to a state mental hospital until he is competent to stand trial. He has remained in a county jail since his arrest in lieu of $500,000 bail and has been hospitalized several times because of the tumor, the report said.

"It's unfortunate, but that's the way the ball bounces," Gallery co-owner Jim McIngvale told the newspaper in response to the ruling. "We look forward to going to trial and getting some closure, but obviously the court made their ruling, and we'll stand by what they say."

The May 2009 caused more than $20 million in damage, the report said. But McIngvale had Gallery up and operating at the location by Labor Day weekend.