From Porsche posts to arson charges: the online life of Mississippi’s synagogue arson suspect

Stephen Spencer Pittman, 19, is indicted on state first-degree arson and faces federal arson and hate-crime charges for allegedly lighting a fire at Beth Israel, Mississippi’s largest synagogue, after posting antisemitic content online. Mississippi Today’s reporting traces Pittman’s digital footprint—fitness and self-improvement content, wealth displays, and a Christian-identity–adjacent worldview linked to a site called One Purpose—to illustrate how online subcultures may illuminate his motive. The article contrasts his online persona with his alleged actions, including an antisemitic Instagram video hours before the attack, and details his background as a high school athlete and student from Madison, as well as the ongoing federal proceedings set for a preliminary hearing.