Posted on 03/08/2006 11:03:17 AM PST by presidio9
Two college students arrested Wednesday in a string of nine rural Alabama church arsons told authorities that the first fires were set as a joke and later blazes were intended as a diversion, federal agents said.
A third college student was arrested later Wednesday in the serial arsons, according to WVTM-TV of Birmingham.
Benjamin Nathan Moseley and Russell Lee Debusk Jr., both students at Birmingham-Southern College, appeared in federal court Wednesday and were ordered held on church arson charges pending a hearing Friday.
Matthew Lee Cloyd, reportedly a student at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, was arrested midday, the WVTM reported.
An ATF affidavit said Moseley told agents on Wednesday that he, Cloyd and Debusk went to Bibb County in Cloyds Toyota sport utility vehicle on Feb. 2 and set fire to five churches. A witness quoted Cloyd as saying Moseley did it as a joke and it got out of hand, according to the affidavit.
Moseley also told agents the four church fires in west Alabama were set as a diversion to throw investigators off, an attempt that obviously did not work, the affidavit said.
Arson investigators scheduled an afternoon news conference at the Tuscaloosa airport to discuss the arrests.
The first two suspects were arrested Tuesday night, NBCs Pete Williams reported.
WVTM-TV, citing the state fire marshals office, said the two are students at Birmingham Southern College and were arrested at a college dorm.
The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the Alabama church arson case a top priority as scores of agents joined state and local law officers in the probe.
Authorities analyzed tire tracks and traced the purchase of the tires to
-snip-
A federal source said the apparent motive was that the three students just liked to set and watch fires.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
Condi's best friend when she was a little girl was one of the children killed in the Birmingham church bombing. Remember the terror attack by the racists RATS in the 60s? They just tried one of the old farts last year I think.
Several posters have made comments about hoping these two arsonists get raped in prison. I really dislike that. It makes me sick to know that in this country we consider rape to be part of the punishment.
That said, I do hope that they are sent to jail for several years, put on probation for much longer, and fined heavily - maybe $10,000 each for each church burned down. Give the money to the churches to help rebuild.
Kudos for your sleuthing.
Only because they won't let them in the parade.
Any other examples, other than not letting them into parades?
Face it, the religion of choice for wannabe clergy is catholic. Heck, I've seen it first hand, growing up in that environment.
You just can't stay out of your own way, can you? Please stop making ridiculous declarations. There are merely the first few hits I got on Google. You're wrong, ok?
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE7D6103EF93BA35751C0A96E948260
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE7DA1F3BF93BA3575BC0A96E948260
http://www.glaad.org/media/release_detail.php?id=15
http://www.ewtn.com/library/ISSUES/GAYGUICA.TXT
http://www.photo.net/philg/ny/gay-parade
BTW, I'm still trying to figure out why a self-proclaimed "South Park Republican" has a Reagan quote on his homepage. Reagan had zero tolerance for libertarian causes.
I'm sure it'll be really funny when they become somone's bitches in prison.
Finger slip, was intended to #1 blank reply, the reference was to their sicko joke. As to the three times? I have not a clue.
Several months later. Mosely to Cloyd: "hey Cloyd, whatever you do, don't drop you soap in the shower !!!"
I know you probably saying this facetiously. I'm betting their parents are heartsick.
They were theatre students. Not to be too stereotyping, but I wonder if this has something to do with Baptists' stands on gay issues?
Ed
I wish I could be there when the judge delivers the punchline.
"Fifty years in a Federal Penitentary. When you're hot, you're HOT!"
Could be, Ed. I ain't sayin'.
Maybe somebody should send them jars of vasoline when they visit them in prison...
No it doesn't. These were Churches they burned down. Not Synagogues or Mosques.
Joke? Most people are not laughing.
I don't see how this could be called anything else.
Let's see how much of a joke they find in ten years of corn-holing courtesy of Feel The Love In Prison, Inc.
Well, low, early reports were that most of these churches were attended by African-American families. That would qualify.
How about whipping them in the public square - just as a joke?
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