ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, December 26, 1995 TAG: 9512260028
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SERIES: A look back at 1995 - Whatever happened to ...
SOURCE: DIANE STRUZZI STAFF WRITER
For one month last spring, it seemed as if Roanoke was burning down.
In May, a string of fires destroyed the Claytor Memorial Clinic building in Gainsboro and a number of vacant warehouses and residences. By the end of the month, investigators would have 19 fires to probe - ranging from vehicle fires to an arson-homicide that killed a 40-year-old woman in Old Southwest Roanoke.
One highly publicized fire, such as the one at Gainsboro's First Baptist Church at the end of April, can generate copycat blazes, according to Lt. Eddie Fielder, assistant fire marshal. People are naturally curious about fire, he said.
One incident can incite a person who is a latent pyromaniac, or an individual who is turned on by the opportunity to manipulate fire, police and the media, said Detective Alvin Dudley, who investigated arsons for the city for two decades.
Eleven of the fires in May were "significant" and caused major structural damage, according to fire officials. To date, three arson cases have been resolved.
Last week, a jury convicted Raymond H. Mahoney of torching a house at 369 Washington Ave. S.W. and killing Brenda Ann Davis. The motive was revenge over a botched drug deal.
Three juveniles were arrested for setting fire to a residence in the 700 block of Tazewell Avenue Southeast. The children were playing with matches.
An arson charge is pending against another individual for setting a fire that damaged a home at 1462 Kefauver Road S.E.
A regional task force is investigating six fires that destroyed properties in Northwest Roanoke, including the Claytor clinic. The team was established in 1994 to pool information on criminal cases in the Roanoke Valley.
In several of the Northwest Roanoke fires, a similarly described man was seen entering or leaving the house just before the fire. No arrests have been made.
Two juveniles were convicted of torching the First Baptist Church. According to court testimony, the boys set it on fire because they wanted to see something burn.
Arsons are some of the toughest crimes to solve. Leads are difficult to come by, and eyewitnesses are rare, said Detective Rick Kahl, the city's sole arson investigator.
"Most times, no one has seen anything," he said.
The work is tedious and time-consuming. Investigators often rely on interviews with nearby residents to piece together exactly what happened and when. What the residents observe, even if they don't think it is important, can be vital.
In large part, that is how Kahl solved the Davis arson-murder. He built his case against the suspect through neighbors' recollections the night of the fire. The case against Mahoney was purely circumstantial.
Arsonists are secretive, Dudley said. Most don't tell anyone what they have done.
LENGTH: Medium: 60 linesby CNB