Federal prosecutors have charged two Birmingham residents in connection with the fire set inside the Walmart Supercenter on Lakeshore Parkway in Homewood, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama. The indictment marks the latest development in a months-long investigation involving federal and local law enforcement.
A federal grand jury returned a two-count indictment against Lillian Jayne Colburn, 26, and Mercutio Terrell Southall, 41, charging both individuals with arson and conspiring to provide material support to terrorists in relation to the August 2025 fire at the Homewood Walmart.
The incident, identified in the federal filing as occurring on August 25, 2025, prompted a coordinated investigation by the FBI, the Homewood Police Department and the Irondale Police Department, with Assistant U.S. Attorney W. Lee Gilmer assigned to prosecute the case.
According to an earlier press release from the Homewood Police Department, the arson investigation began on August 22, 2025, when officers and firefighters responded to a fire inside the Lakeshore Parkway Walmart around 2:30 p.m.
Authorities determined that a shopping cart filled with rags, blankets, charcoal bags, small engine fuel and paint thinner had been deliberately ignited in a clothing aisle, forcing the store to evacuate and close for the remainder of the day. Walmart later reported more than $130,000 in damage resulting from the blaze.
Detectives identified Mercutio Southall as a suspect after reviewing evidence placing him at a protest earlier in the day and later inside the store, where he was observed gathering and staging the materials used to start the fire.
Investigators stated that Southall returned to Walmart after leaving the protest and facilitated the ignition of the fire. He was arrested shortly thereafter and charged with Arson – 1st Degree and Criminal Mischief – 1st Degree, and was booked into the Jefferson County Jail, where he was held without bond under Aniah’s Law.
The Homewood Police Department also confirmed it was working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to pursue federal charges.
Following Southall’s arrest, investigators continued reviewing evidence and pursuing leads.
That ongoing work ultimately resulted in the federal indictment of Lillian Jayne Colburn, who was not named in the initial Homewood Police Department release but is now charged alongside Southall for her alleged involvement in the planning and commission of the arson. Federal authorities announced Colburn’s indictment in November 2025, highlighting her role as a second suspect in the case.
The federal indictment formalizes the charges against both Colburn and Southall and consolidates the case under federal jurisdiction. As noted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, an indictment consists only of charges, and both defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
