Students say church arsons meant as ‘a joke’

NBC News ^ | March 8, 2006

[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 Cloyd’s 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, NBC’s Pete Williams reported.

WVTM-TV, citing the state fire marshal’s 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.

[mlc9852]

Good point - lol

[flying Elvis]

I predict an extreme fear of this in their future: http://news.mywebpal.com/partners/680/public/news701956.html

"Three Floyd County Jail inmates were arrested on sodomy charges Tuesday for their alleged roles in the Friday night sexual assault of a fellow inmate, authorities said..."

[polecat pete]

Here's the amazing part of the story: "Authorities analyzed tire tracks and traced the purchase of the tires to Cloyd." I mean, wow. Who knew they could really do that stuff? It's like something off of CSI.

[Sax]

"That one?"---"A joke."
"That one?"---"That was a joke too."
"And that one?"---"Ditto."
"That one?"---"That one was a diversion"
"That one?"---"Another diversion"
"That one?"---"We went back to jokin'"
"And that one?"---"Jokin' was a runnin' strong"
"That one?"---"Back to diversions"
"And this one?"---"Hell, we'z just drunk for that one."

[IronJack]

HAHAHA [sound of cell door slamming] HAHAHA [laughter fades, replaced by sound of clock ticking loudly].

[Always Right]

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.

I wonder what their DUmmie screen names are. And I would bet large money they are DUmmie posters.

[steve-b]

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"

Your new cell mate has some even funnier jokes, about how long it's been since he's had any and how nondiscriminating he's become as a result....

[Kozak]

Arson a joke? For college students? They need educating on their "sense of humor."

Oh, I bet they will get a real education by their cellmates.

[jess35]

The feds will probably charge them.

[pollyannaish]

Unbelievably stupid. I am honestly stunned by how idiotic this is.

Our kids REALLY need to be taught to respect authority. They honestly thought that if they set MORE fires they would throw off the cops who they assumed are idiots. Unbelievable.

[moondoggie]

I bet the fact that nothing but Baptist Churches were burned is easily explained, too? </sarcasm>

[steve-b]

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,"

No s#!^, Sherlock.

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

Nobody was laughing at your stupid joke.

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

Nobody was laughing at your stupid joke.

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

Nobody was laughing at your stupid joke.

[fightin kentuckian]

Afterall, didn't Louis Farrahkan say the other day at the State of the Black Union that America needed to burn.

[rightinthemiddle]

I guess it was just an accident all the buidling were Baptist Churches?

[NavyCanDo]

Life in prison with a very hairy and smelly cell-mate with a thing for young college boys would be justice.

[Denver Ditdat]

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”

Yeah, right. As if someone was going to respond to a burning church by saying "Oh-ho-ho-ho! A church in ashes! Ha-ha-ha! This is just the knee-slappin' funniest thing I've ever seen!"