May 03, 2006
I think we should get them first
al.com: NewsFlash - State arson charges filed against three in Alabama church fires
I mean, as long as "Troy King" doesn't decide to prosecute them himself. I mean, we know that Alice Martin will screw up the federal charges, but it's possible that the state trial will result in the three getting what they have coming.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 12:54 PM | Comments (0)
April 13, 2006
Sort of
Alabama church arson suspects plead not guilty | Reuters.com
As you probably know, they've already confessed. But Federal law mandates a not guilty plea. Trial date set for June 5, I guess in Birmingham.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 12:50 PM | Comments (0)
April 06, 2006
12 total
Church fire in Talladega ruled arson
They say that there's no indication it's linked to any of the other fires, either the BSC3's escapades or the two copycat arsons. Apparently somebody just thought it would be a good idea. I don't understand people. Talladega's quite a ways away from any of the other fires.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 10:30 AM | Comments (0)
April 04, 2006
It's really quite pathetic
AP Wire | 04/04/2006 | Early morning fire destroys church in Talladega
Can't they come up with their own blasphemous crimes? At any event, this is presumably not the same arsonist as the one in Lamar County, and the main arsonists are still in jail. The good news is that if they're convicted of Federal charges they could serve their sentences in Talladega. Maybe it's a tribute.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 09:51 AM | Comments (1)
March 30, 2006
Conspiracy and arson
Indictment adds to charges against 3 in church fires
That sounds pretty much like what they did. Anyway, next they'll plea not guilty, because the rules say that they have to even if they've confessed. Then, I'm guessing, they will plead out.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 08:18 AM | Comments (0)
March 28, 2006
Unoriginal
Investigation continues in Blount church fire
Apparently, this is now the "in" thing among a certain set. "Hey, let's go build a fire!" The smaller the better. This one had 69 members.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 07:29 AM | Comments (0)
March 23, 2006
That'll help lots
BSC to worship at burned churches
It would be even better if there were, you know, churches to worship at. Still, it's the thought that counts!
Posted by Mac Thomason at 07:16 AM | Comments (7)
March 19, 2006
Stay!
Wise choice, considering that they would have gotten picked up by the state if they did make bond. I expect that the state bond would have been a lot higher than the pathetic $50,000 they got in Federal court. Of course, a lawyer says that they're staying in "in recognition of the seriousness of the church fires and in an effort to promote healing" but then why did they ask for bond?
Posted by Mac Thomason at 11:36 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 17, 2006
One more for the road
al.com: NewsFlash - Agents still investigating last of 10 church fires in Alabama
So, one of the ten appears to have been a copycat. Really, the air has gone out of the case, but my guess is that this fire is the doing of a different group of drunk teenagers.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 04:51 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Oh, no, you can't call it that
Suspects' parents, others attend grief service at BSC
You don't get a "grief service". You get a "repentance service". You get to say, over and over, "we're sorry that our little punks burned down someone else's churches".
Posted by Mac Thomason at 08:32 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 16, 2006
Hooray for multiple jurisdictions
Bibb County charges may keep arson suspects in jail
The Federal judge granted bail (just $50 K -- a year at BSC runs better than $20K in tuition alone) for the Three Duhmigos. But if they make bail, they'll just get arrested again and transferred to Bibb County on the warrants there. I'm guessing that the Shelby County jail is probably nicer than Bibb's, and Centreville is probably even harder to get to than Columbiana.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 12:02 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
They've done a great job with them so far
The parents of the Three Duhmigos all say that they'll be responsible for their sons if they're released on bond. Let's see... rich white kids facing seven to forty in jail... Heck, there's almost no chance that they're going to flee the jurisdiction! I mean, I'm sure they're eager to accept the punishment for their actions.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 07:13 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 15, 2006
Why are they in the Shelby County Jail?
CNN.com - Hearing for Alabama church fire suspects - Mar 15, 2006
The lockups in Birmingham and Tuscaloosa aren't good enough for them? Columbiana is impossible to get to, by the way. It might as well be in Switzerland.
Authorities have not commented on a possible motive, but evidence indicates the fires began as a prank that got out of control on a night of drinking and illegal hunting. Defense attorneys have said the fires were not crimes of hate.
I'm starting to think that we need legislation against crimes of stupidity. Possibly special prisons for the incurably dumb.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 12:45 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
March 12, 2006
Nobody actually reads this stuff
Cyberspace postings highlight students' false sense of security
Natalie Davis, a BSC political science professor, taught a class in the fall on media and politics in which she encouraged students to post remarks on blogspot.com. The online conversations with outsiders turned off-color and inappropriate at times."The truth is they do not think before they write," Davis said. "This stuff doesn't go away. It's going to be there forever and you have to live with it."
Here's a simple rule that I try to follow: Don't write anything you wouldn't say in public. It's mindboggling to me that people are willing to put down in semi-permanent form thoughts that they wouldn't express outside their personal circle of friends.
"A lot of kids don't understand that anybody who wants to - police, parents, employers - can see what they're writing," said attorney Parry Aftab, executive director of the nonprofit WiredSafety.org, which offers tips on Internet safety.
What, anyone? Sorry, I better go.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 01:05 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack
March 10, 2006
The most predictable story ever
Authorities say suspects in Alabama church fires may have been drinking
One officer says initial interviews with the suspects support a theory that drinking could have created a warped bravado that led to the arsons.
Really, alcohol caused this? Not sweet, sweet liquor!
Posted by Mac Thomason at 03:17 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Hey, lots of our students aren't arsonists!
Birmingham-Southern confronts arson aftermath
BSC actually has a social service emphasis and encourages its students to work for charity. Now it's a little awkward, because the Drama Twins have easily gotten more attention for their little spree than all the charity work combined.
BSC's a good school, I hope they can put this behind them.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 09:26 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Sticks 2, Slicks 0
Officers' hunches bolstered fire probe
A game warden described the arsonists (unseen) as "out-of-towners on drunken joy rides". And the Bibb County Sheriff said that the tire tracks (which eventually led to the arsonists) were important and protected them so they could be studied, then got the ATF out there.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 09:21 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
March 09, 2006
Shocked, I say
BSC students shocked by arrests of Moseley, DeBusk
Wouldn't it have been great if they said they weren't shocked? "Well, yeah, I always figured those two were going to be nationally known criminals one day. One way or the other." "Surprised? Of course not! Everybody knew it was them. I guess we all figured someone else had already called the cops."
Meanwhile, we already have our first groupie, a UA student:
"There’s a tendency to label these kinds of people as really bad people, and I wanted the media to know that they’re not," she said. "They’re really good people who made a bad decision."
Yeah, they made that decision ten times.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 10:01 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
Profiles of some firebugs
A busy actor, DeBusk known as peacemaker
"Guys, guys... Come on, let's rememember we're all friends. You know what will make us feel better? Burning down some churches!"
His roommate actually says that he's "like a cartoon character". At Hoover High School, he was voted "Most Dramatic". That's a category? He was on a drama scholarship, unlike...
A high school scholar, Cloyd fixated on hunting
He graduated from Oak Mountain High School with honors and was supposed to be a doctor, like his father. He also enjoyed blowing away small, inoffensive animals. He was also, and I kid you not, a member of "Students Against Destructive Decisions". Meanwhile, in one of his Facebook posts he shows an admiration for Eric Robert Rudolph...
Moseley noted for his acting ability, wild side
Another high school star, class president and prom king. He and DeBusk were shooting a film for the local film festival, and he wanted to move to LA after graduation. Guess that won't be happening.
The common thread is that all these guys had basically everything going for them, and they threw it away on a "joke that went too far". I expect that they, like many young men of their class, figured they could do anything and get away with it.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 08:22 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
March 08, 2006
We should have known
Agent: Three college students say church arsons started as joke
Apparently, two of the alleged arsonists posted to Facebook that "it is time to reconvene the season of evil." They also posted: "May our girlfriends be concerned about our safety, may our parents be clueless, may our beers be frosty." Ick. Once again, evidence that Facebook users are evil.
Also evil: theater majors. The two BSC students were. They've been suspended and banned from campus.
Jon Stewart: "Two, three churches, that's a prank that got out of hand. Ten, you're running that joke into the ground."
Posted by Mac Thomason at 09:57 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
"A joke that got out of hand"
THIRD SUSPECT ARRESTED IN CHURCH ARSONS
I know what he means, I've always found arson a hoot. #3 turned himself in just before noon, so the version of the story I linked to earlier was already out of date. This version contains pictures of the three; the first two (the 19-year-olds from Birmingham-Southern) look exactly like I thought they would. Here's the press release.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 03:57 PM | Comments (9) | TrackBack
Church fire update
OFFICIAL SAYS SUSPECT ADMITS TAKING PART IN ARSONS
The two suspects are both -- what are the odds? -- 19, both from Birmingham. (That's a little surprising, because it was generally thought from their apparent familiarity with the area they were from close by.) One of them has apparently confessed, according to the ever-helpful "sources close to the investigation, speaking on the condition of anonymity". The thing about this type of crime is that there's always one who breaks like china. A third loser of the same age is still being sought.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 10:44 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
Got them
ABC News: Suspects Arrested in Church Fire Probe
Or two out of three of them; authorities are still seeking a third man. Press conference scheduled for 2 PM (I assume Eastern though we're central) here in Tuscaloosa.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 09:59 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
February 24, 2006
We'll see about that
Arson probe narrows; fire singes Lamar church
The investigators say that they're closing in on the suspects. Of course, that's what they always say. The fire was accidental and quickly extinguished, the church suffering only minor damage. A coalition to help pay for church rebuilding has been launched.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 07:28 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
February 21, 2006
They're still out there
Warehouse fire likely not linked to church fires, ATF officials say
I just saw them. Yesterday, I saw the crane they were working with to open up the building. For now, they're not making a determination on whether the fire was arson. The fire at the student center (the other non-Baptist building) was apparently not arson, but the result of an unattended candle.
And the fire Sunday at a church in Etowah County (in another part of the state) which was already thought unrelated was started by Molotov cocktails. Some people.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 09:00 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
February 19, 2006
Copycat
Investigators probe fire attempt at small Etowah County church
The attempt was unsuccessful, and Reuters reports that it was unrelated to the other fires.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 05:21 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Church fire roundup
Candles were involved in fire at student center
They seem reluctant to tie this one to the other fires; it may even have been an accident. UA students often burn candles there. However, the fire did start at the altar, like the "normal" fires have. I am guessing that the investigators have held back details of the other fires, as is standard in such investigations, and that they have a better idea of what's related and what's a copycat than they're letting on.
State’s past fuels notion arsons were about race
Because nothing happens in Alabama without a racial motive, at least as far as Yankees and foreigners are concerned. I'm used to it. At any event, there is no reason to bring race into this situation, since both black and white churches have burned, but they're going to because that's all they know about Alabama.
Warehouse still too hot to investigate
Apparently, though, someone was videotaping the fire. The police, as you'd expect, would like to see the tape... Two trucks were seen leaving the scene. However, the driver of one truck has been identified, interviewed, and released as a non-suspect.
Church fire task force to probe warehouse blaze
"It's very different from the previous fires, but it's too early to tell," said David Hyche, resident agent in charge with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
It's suspicious, but maybe it's not related, or it's some sort of copycat. Still, with churches normally under guard right now, the arsonists may just have changed targets.
Witnesses have reported seeing two white men in their 20s or early 30s in a dark SUV, possibly a Nissan Pathfinder."No lead is too small and no call is insignificant," Campbell said. "People have to trust their gut instincts. Sometimes people's gut instincts are right."
Anyone with tips about the church fires should call the ATF arson hot line at 888-283-3473. The direct line set up only for the fire starter or starters is 205-343-9531.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 04:25 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 09, 2006
I hate these guys
Thrill may be motive in blazes
"Hey, I think it would be fun to burn down a church!" What kind of sick asshole gets his kicks that way?
Posted by Mac Thomason at 08:56 AM | Comments (6) | TrackBack
February 07, 2006
The possibility is stronger now
Authorities investigating all 9 church fires as possible hate crimes
All four of the churches burned last night are predominantly black. (I had suspected as much. Most Baptist churches in the state that aren't Southern Baptist are black churches.) Is it possible that the arsonists just did bad research for their first set?
There does seem to be a lead, an SUV apparently seen at multiple fire scenes. Get the bastards.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 06:04 PM | Comments (8) | TrackBack
Oh, no
al.com: NewsFlash - Alabama official says fires reported at four rural churches
These were in Pickens, Sumter, and Greene Counties. Two were destroyed, two damaged. All the churches torched so far were Baptist, but these (unlike the majority in Bibb County) were not Southern Baptist.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 01:19 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
February 04, 2006
Again, probably all of them
6 churches in 2 counties burn; at least 3 were set
Overnight story; there doesn't seem to be anything new since then. (No homosexual liberals have been arrested yet.) I was watching a TV report last night; the ruins were still smoldering at 10 PM.
The fires were apparently all set near the pulpits. The ATF regional director:
Though all the fires have not been officially called arson, Cavanaugh said, "Of course it's arson. You don't have accidental fires at six churches."
Posted by Mac Thomason at 01:39 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
February 03, 2006
Church fire update
CNN.com - Friday, February 3 - Feb 3, 2006
The FBI is opening a civil rights investigation. It's hard to see a racial motive here. It would seem to be religiously motivated, however. The agent in charge of the Birmingham office says that they want to make sure it's not a hate crime.
Three of the churches are listed as destroyed, including the predominatly black church, Pleasant Sabine.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 04:25 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
No, really?
CNN.com - Arson suspected in church fires - Feb 3, 2006
I mean, six fires (another one, in Chilton County to the east of Bibb, has now been reported), all in the same kind of building, all in a brief period... that could be a coincidence, right?
There doesn't seem to be a racial angle. One of the six churches is predominantly black, the other five predominantly white. You're probably familiar with the string of black church arsons from a few years ago.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 03:32 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Yeah, let's not jump to conclusions
Five churches damaged, one destroyed in overnight blazes
The report says "Its [sic] unclear if the church fires are connected." I think we can safely say that five churches in the same county don't suddenly catch fire on their own.
Posted by Mac Thomason at 10:41 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack