The man accused of starting the New Year's Day fire in 2025 that helped fuel the deadly Palisades inferno allegedly had behavior that matches someone who sought "societal revenge," according to an expert who testified in court.
One of the ways Kelm said these kind of individuals don't cope with these issues, and in this case, the act of setting a fire gives them some kind of emotional relief from the problems they face.
Kelm also said the defendant's use of ChatGPT was to make a "dystopian image" of the world, where he designed an image representing a barrier between rich people and other individuals who don't have as much money.
He said, however, ChatGPT wasn't responding how Rinderknecht wanted, which frustrated him and shows he's not able to deal with stresses.
Kelm's assessment of a possible "societal revenge" motive stemmed from witness statements, video, pictures, academic literature and more.
Rinderknecht is charged with destruction of property by means of fire, arson affecting property used in interstate commerce and timber set afire. Fox News Digital reached out to his lawyers for comment.
Fox News' Amanda Gillilan contributed to this report.