Expert tells Texas state-sanctioned review that they killed an innocent man. If the commission reaches the same conclusion, it could lead to the first-ever declaration by an official state body that an inmate was wrongly executed. Cameron Todd Willingham was accused of killing his three children in a house fire. There have been doubts about the case for years, thoroughly outlined in this 2004 Chicago Tribune article and this 2005 NPR interview (summarized in this Daily Kos diary). [more inside]
posted by desjardins on Aug 25, 2009 - 92 comments

The small, unassuming town of Coatesville, Pennsylvania, has suffered 50 fires in 15 months, making it the site of the country's worst arson epidemic in decades, and providing a frightening case study in how the crime of fire-setting can turn self-perpetuating. [via mefi projects] [more inside]
posted by filthy light thief on May 27, 2009 - 26 comments

Conjugal Harmony : "Normally you wouldn't think an arsonist would be good at sex. Boy was I ever wrong!" [slightly NSFW]
posted by desjardins on Apr 10, 2009 - 44 comments

Conspicuous Combustion: since May 2007, 292 luxury cars have been burned in Berlin. A simple Google Map at brennende-autos.de ("Burning Cars") charts the date, model, and location of each.
posted by anotherpanacea on Mar 2, 2009 - 66 comments

Paul David Addis has been arrested once again. You may remember him as the man that set The Man on fire 4 days early. This time he went after Grace Cathedral. This is the second SF church to be hit by attempted/successful arson in the past week.
posted by drstein on Oct 29, 2007 - 42 comments

The man got lit up early. Culprit out on bail. LOLCATS on the case.
posted by jcruelty on Aug 29, 2007 - 137 comments

The missive, on paper decorated with roses and butterflies addresses a Mr. Pulsifer, and implores him to "burn down Edith Wharton's house." Algonquin press goes just a touch overboard in their publicity for a new novel.
posted by Lentrohamsanin on Mar 6, 2007 - 9 comments

Convicted as an ecoterrorist, a brilliant young scholar nose-dives in prison. An article on Billy Cottrell, a physics genius with Asperger's Syndrome who was sentenced to 8.5 years in prison for his role in destroying $5 million worth of SUVs. His case was previously discussed here. [Via BB.]
posted by homunculus on Mar 2, 2007 - 204 comments

The La Contessa, the Spanish galleon that roamed Lake Lahontan, is gone.
posted by fandango_matt on Dec 11, 2006 - 19 comments

Delicious Arson at the Hog Rendering Plant? New York Pork, a Toronto based slaughterhouse, burned to the ground on November 6th. While the cause of the fire is still under debate, the photographs of the cleanup of more than 700 seared pig carcasses make for a disturbing Flickr slideshow.
posted by jonson on Nov 12, 2006 - 37 comments

Torch my ride! Debt-heavy consumers, finding their pocketbooks unable to support their monstrous gas-guzzlers, are apparently turning to perfectly rational and legal means of debt resolution: insurance fraud. Meanwhile, across the pond, people are are still immolating cars for the more traditional reason: destroying the evidence. Should you find yourself in either situation any time soon Slate has a handy guide for you. If you have no such plans however, you may still want to read this in case your car ignites legitimately. And have a damn good story ready.
posted by baphomet on Jun 12, 2006 - 44 comments

Vandals in suits and bow-ties burned down an Oakland liquor store last night, apparently the same vandals who smashed cases and displays last Wednesday. The police and store owners have suggested they have ties to a local community of Black Muslims. Both stores attacked belonged to the Yemini American Grocery Association and were targeted because they were selling alcohol. Said one store owner: "They asked us if we were Muslim. When we said 'yes,' one of them said that good Muslims shouldn't be poisoning the community with alcohol, or something like that."
posted by ScottMorris on Nov 28, 2005 - 54 comments

French-fried cars for New Year In Detroit, it has been a custom to fire guns during New Year's celebrations. Perhaps we should put aside our current dislike of the French and borrow this fine way to usher in a brand new year. After all, it is the French who have given us taste, culture, refinement, and the liberty of self-expression.
posted by Postroad on Jan 3, 2004 - 48 comments

More senseless killing, boys and girls: an Arson in a South Korean subway. "With 135 people injured, many seriously, and at least 90 people listed as missing, officials say they expect the death toll to rise much higher." This will, no doubt, help in stabilizing the region.
posted by antimarx on Feb 18, 2003 - 10 comments

Family of 7 killed in Arson - Is an Anti-Drug Campaign Responsible? a lawyer from Johnnie Cochran's high-profile firm says so. He claims that the "Baltimore Believe" program got the victims to speak out against drug dealers and report a few of them - resulting in their untimely deaths last October 16th.

Their names are interestingly missing from the "list of believers" on the campaign's website. You can see the list here I'm guessing this isn't what Nancy Reagan had in mind, huh.
posted by djspicerack on Jan 8, 2003 - 10 comments

Arsonists try to burn down a mosque in Melbourne, Australia I was going to title this link 'Another terrorist attack', but I was concerned that would unduly alarm people: Deputy Victorian Police Commissioner Bill Kelly said police had no evidence to suggest the Doncaster attack was a response to the Bali bombing. "It's not being looked at as a retaliation attack, it's just being looked at as an arson attack on a building," he said. "But obviously given what has happened last Saturday that puts another dimension into the investigation to follow-up on to make sure it either is or isn't politically or religiously motivated." Terrorists or arsonists? I suppose it depends upon whether you're Muslim or not. Sounds like terrorism to me. But like us easy-going Aussies like to say: 'No worries. She'll be right, mate.' Damn them all.
posted by chrisgregory on Oct 17, 2002 - 27 comments

Couldn't he have just bought a fancy car to impress the ladies? A Minnesota Police Chief is now the owner of nine counts of criminal arson, all in the name of impressing the honeys. At first, nobody really knew how the fire happened. Apparently, he lit the buildings on fire with the intentions of going in and saving his ex-girl, who lives in one of the buildings. This chick must have been somethin' else. I'm betting the business owners and historical society in the community would be impassioned enough to want to go light up his house in a heartbeat. I'd say he ought to be due for some good old fashioned time at the Gray Bar Hotel, if he gets any. I shudder to think what cellmates do to cops in prison! Then there's This dude!. Can't you go scuba-diving in Key West, like everyone else, man? Where are our heroes, nowadays?
posted by beejaywhy2k on Apr 13, 2002 - 6 comments

Terrorist threatens to blow up comic book store! Stolen comic books were the cause of the incident. According to a cop: "He said he wanted to blow up the place or burn it down...If he couldn’t have his comic books, nobody could."
posted by Keen on Mar 25, 2002 - 10 comments

More Public Servants to Rally Around. In what appears to be a extremely trying time, the members of the NSW Fire Brigade have been working insane hours, under the most intense conditions....and with a largely volunteer force. Although, I heard NSW Premier Bob Carr this morning on the news state that he intends to have the (accused) arson culprits visit burn wards and help with clean-up with the intent to "traumatize" theses kids. Strong stuff but I gather that's the kinda guy he is. Of course, if you feel the urge, you can give until it hurts. (registration required). Makes me want to emmigrate again.
posted by Dagobert on Jan 5, 2002 - 4 comments

"Acts of bastardry" are still going around Sydney.
Bad conditions help along the Christmas bushfires started by lightning and mad, wicked behaviour. (I certainly know what it's like.) But why did the fires spread so quickly? Didn't something like this happen in 1997? Is it very dry in southern Australia, or is it El Nino?!
posted by rschram on Dec 30, 2001 - 11 comments

October Coffee Crisis. Montreal Gazette: "In its communiques, the BAF warned that Second Cup franchises were to be 'in the line of fire' and warned of an escalation of violent acts if Second Cup and other chains insist on keeping their trademark English names." More Trudeau nostalgia?
posted by todd on Oct 12, 2000 - 7 comments