He was a. according to Dr. Joel Dvoskin, a member of the American Board of Forensic Psychology. In the second of our Main Channel Minisodes, Tom and Ben explore the unsettling case of John Leonard Orr.Follow our socials: @couldmurderapodWritten & presen. During March 1989, another series of arsons were committed along the California coast in close conjunction with a conference of arson investigators in Pacific Grove, California. John Leonard Orr, Court Case No. why did john leonard orr start firesjack paar cause of death. A Lie To Die For Sneak: Retired Fire Investigator Says He Thought Serial Arsonist Might Be A 'Wannabe' Investigator. John Leonard Orr (born April 26, 1949) is an American former firefighter, novelist, and convicted arsonist and m* murderer. From 1984 to 1991, an arsonist known as the Pillow Pyro ignited approximately 2,000 fires across Southern California. It was a wall of flame. Points of Truth: Revelations of "the most prolific serial arsonist of the 20th century". His modus operandi was to set fires using an incendiary timing device, usually comprising a lit cigarette with three matches wrapped in ruled yellow writing paper and secured by a rubber band, in stores while they were open and populated. Billy wanted to buy some cheap two-by-fours, so he headed for the lumber display, which was between the north and south fire doors. Fire Captain William Eisele was was in charge of the response to the Oles Home Center fire. Just stupid people acting as stupid people do. Orrs defence attorneys Peter Giannini and Edward Rucker argued that the South Pasadena fire was ruled an electrical blaze and dismissed Orrs manuscript as pure fiction, comparing it with the 1991 movie Backdraft, which had also been written by a firefighter. Afterward, investigators took another look at the Oles Home Center hardware store fire, which further investigation had revealed was started by a highly flammable substance. This sentence was to begin upon his release from Federal custody. Desperate to be a firefighter, he applied to the Glendale Fire Department (at the time the Glendale FD was at the bottom in Los Angeles County for pay); he was accepted in 1974. The fingerprints of those on the list was compared with the fingerprint recovered by Casey from the piece of notebook paper found at one of the arson crime scenes, and all ten suspects were cleared of suspicion. He was also found guilty of committing upwards of 20 other crimes, including setting a blazing fire in the College Hills section of Glendale, which destroy 67 residential homes. In the 1980s and 1990s, Los Angeles was plagued by a series . John Orr: The Ex-Fire Captain and America's Most Prolific Serial Arsonist A novel he wrote called Points of Origin: Playing with Fire, gave explicit details of a firefighter turned arsonist who gets aroused by watching things burn. What was the cause of the John Leonard Orr fire? John Orr was a walking contradiction. [The suspect] had the right stuff in his van, and we are very confident we found our man," Beck said. He would also set small fires often in the grassy hills, in order to draw firefighters, leaving fires set in more congested areas unattended. No products in the cart. He has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. As an adult, he joined the Air Force and their fire-fighter school. When McClure later finished his investigation and returned to his car, he heard radio reports of the disaster that was unfolding seven miles away . Firefighter and arson investigator John Orr of California's Glendale Fire Department had a way of showing up very quickly at the site of a fire and going right to the point of origin. He was convicted of serial arson and four counts of murder. He then approached the Los Angeles Fire Department, only to be rejected once again. [8], Orr's daughter Lori, who later became a motivational speaker, testified on behalf of the defense at the trial and her testimony prevented him from receiving the death penalty. This would seem to fit with the story of the primary suspect, who sources say may have been motivated by a deportation hearing against his mother that took place in LA County about a week and a half ago. The young clerk had been working in the hardware department all day and into the evening. No . At that same meeting was Scott Baker of the California State Fire Marshals Office, who told Campuzanno about the series of arsons investigated by Casey. John Leonard Orr - The True Crime Database Magazine covers for the Daring Detective publication for the year 1940. A fire in a Pasadena, California, hardware store killed four people, including a 2-year-old child. Amongst the names on the list was John Leonard Orr, the Glendale fire Captain. John Leonard Orr Biography | HowOld.co One of the devices found was partially wrapped in yellow paper, and Captain Marvin Casey, of the Bakersfield Fire Department, held suspicions that it was the work of one of the experts attending the convention. But arson investigator John Orr insisted that the fire was deliberately set. Orr was arrested in December 1991 after federal investigators, suspecting his link to fires, began to track his movements. 977 F2d 593 United States v. Orr | OpenJurist His guilty plea was pursuant to a plea bargain agreement, for an eight count indictment that would see him eligible for parole from federal prison in the year 2002. The Pillow Pyro earned his nickname after where he preferred to start his fires; he'd typically target linen shops or fabric stores. Jim Obdam, covered head to foot with soot, ran toward the front of the store, anxious to call his parents to tell them he was all right, but when he touched his hand to his burning wrist, the flesh fell off onto the pavement. [19] Orr was arrested on December 4, 1991 and was charged with arson for a series of fires not related to the 1984 South Pasadena Ole's fire. why did john leonard orr start fires 10. [24], By November 21, 1994, state prosecutors in Los Angeles indicted Orr on four counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances and 21 counts of arson for a string of fires stretching from 1984 to 1990. Serial arsonist and Fire Captain John Leonard Orr killed four people California is no stranger to fires, but a string of blazes set in the 1980s and early-90s left authorities searching for a skilled arsonist who was right under their noses. Jim Obdam walked hurriedly down the north aisle toward the main part of the store, but when he looked around, Ada Deal hadnt started to follow, so he went back. Lonestar formed in 1992 and John Rich was with them until January of 1998. In March 1989, another meeting of arson experts in Pacific Grove, California, coincided with an outbreak of fires in the towns between the site of the conference and Glendale. John Orr and Pyromania by Tristan Smith - Prezi This post is sponsored by Open Road Media. Working in the housewares department that evening was seventeen-year-old Jimmy Cetina. By December, investigators had accumulated enough evidence to warrant and arrest, when Orr was present at a suspicious fire. His parents divorced when he was young. Orr and his first wife divorced not long after. Download Fire Lover. "It's an exciting thing to do and it's a dangerous thing to do and it does draw attention to them. He was profiled in the 2004 Forensic Files episode "Point of Origin", the same title used in the HBO film. Acting on his hunch that the arsonist was a fellow fire expert, Casey compared the list of attendees from the previous Fresno conferece with the list of atendees at the newly held Pacific Grove conference, and was able to compile a short list of ten possible suspects. John Leonard Orr - Wikipedia Dylan Eason and Isaiah Churchwell were convicted of murdering Cynthia William "Patrick" Alexander remains in prison for murder. Orr is currently serving a life sentence in connection with the fires. The irony is that the firebug John Orr was someone entrusted to protect the public against fire. As part of Hamilton College's prison writing initiative, The American Prison Writing Archive,[37] Orr was able to publish several autobiographical accounts of his experiences as a prisoner in the American prison complex. There was nothing. The state sentence ran consecutively with his federal sentence for arson.[27][28]. why did john leonard orr start fires - ourailinghealthcare.com Following high school, Orr joined the US Air Force; in 1967, he shipped out for basic training, later transferring to Air Force firefighting school. [3] Most notably, a film titled Point of Origin, starring Ray Liotta as John Orr, was released by HBO in 2002; the film's title is a reference to Orr's novel. why did john leonard orr start fires - aephoria.eu Investigator Scott Baker of the California Fire Marshall Office spoke of his disappointment with Orr, who he considered a once trusted fireman and declared, He betrayed the honor of the brotherhood of the gals and the guys thatll work in this career field. Orrs daughter Lori spent many years maintaining her fathers innocence, however she eventually realised his guilt and subsequently broke off all contact with him. LOS ANGELES (AP) _ In one chapter from a 350-page manuscript, a firefighter-turned-firebug sets businesses across California ablaze. The Arson Investigator Who Set Deadly Fires - KnowledgeNuts John Orr's American Fire Journal Writings, 1987 to 1989 : John Leonard However, Orr, as an arson investigator, insisted that the cause was arson. The arsonist used incendiary timing-devices, which involved a lit cigarette that ignited three matches wrapped in lined yellow writing paper, which was secured by a rubber band. Written by former Fire Captain John L. Orr Join the investigation as lead character, Arson Investigator Phil Langtry, searches every clue to uncover a serial arsonist. Kids That Kill. John Leonard (February 25, 1939 - November 5, 2008) was an American literary, television, film, and cultural critic. It wasnt his fault. He was outside, but he felt as though he were still inside. Orr was born on April 26, 1949, in Los Angeles, California. Orr was the fire captain and arson investigator for the Glendale Fire Department in Southern California. Five people die, two of which were a woman and her toddler grandson. Jim Obdam hurried toward the west end of the store, looking for customers. ", According to Garrett, "They tend to be undereducated, many of them have not graduated from high school and have average to below average IQs, but the common theme in all of them is that all of them are troubled they feel isolated. I do think that is a component to every serial arsonist, the thrill of setting the fire and the power it gives them as a result of killing people, torching property it's like look, look what I have done, it's like a product for them. This site uses cookies to improve user experience. On April 17, 1991, the print was matched to the Glendale arson expert John Leonard Orr. John Orr was found guilty of four counts of first-degree murder on June 26, 1998. In fact, Orr even penned a novel, Points of Origin, which follows an arson investigator who suspects a serial arsonist may be operating within his own ranks. At his federal trial, John Leonard Orr was convicted of three counts of arson in a five count indictment, and the Judge in that case sentenced him to three consecutive terms of ten years in prison. Why? Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Investigators at the scene suspected that the deadly inferno was an unfortunate accidentan electrical fire. By the time fire crews arrived at the scene the building was almost completely destroyed and four people had died in the blaze. Billy peered through that door, that fireproof barricade, toward the west side of the store, and he saw a big cloud of smoke in the center of the space. Orr was found to be the cause of those fires. Fire Starter: John Leonard Orr - YouTube JOSEPH: For the 10 years prior to John's arrest, there were an average of 67 brush fires per year in the hills above Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena . why did john leonard orr start fires 10. Orr wrote. The True Crime Database is an ongoing project, with thousands of hours of research already invested. That steel door had dropped down. Orr was a fire captain and arson investigator for the Glendale Fire Department in Southern California. As he had during five-week trial, 49-year-old Orr had show no emotion during the brief hearing, and had declined to address the court. In 1984, a 19 year old hardware store employee named Jim, was walking from one end of the store to the other, when he noticed something odd in one of the aisels. One of fires in Orrs book had taken place at a K-Mart shopping centre, the same place where the Pillow Pyro had burnt down. By compare odysseus emotions with telemachus when they are reunitedcompare odysseus emotions with telemachus when they are reunited Want to keep reading? He was convinced that the cause was arson. Orrs defence attorneys decried the notion of using a work of fiction for evidence as ludicrous, however, sections of the book were used during his 1992 trial. [31] Federal ATF agent Mike Matassa believes that Orr set nearly 2,000 fires between 1984 and 1991. Investigations later showed that the fire started in highly-flammable polyurethane products, which caught fire very quickly, causing the fire to flashover very rapidly. Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said today that he believed officers apprehended the sole arsonist. In July 2021, truth.media released the true crime podcast Firebug, hosted by filmmaker Kary Antholis and chronicling the investigation into the fires through interviews and excerpts from Orr's manuscript.[36]. Ada said she was going to the paint department. [6] When asked to sentence Orr to the death penalty, the same jury split eight to four in favor. July 30, 2018. This detail turned out to be true, and was known only to the childs grandfather, who was present at the store during the fire and only narrowly escaped. Posted on . In reflecting on his time in the military, Orr later said he did not like his commanding officers. A Burning Story: The Role of Fire in the History of Life - OUP Academic [12] As a result, a large task force, nicknamed the Pillow Pyro Task Force (a reference to the arson fires set in pillows) was formed to apprehend the arsonist. But without further evidence Casey could not prove his theory. When he turned to look for the woman and child he heard a popping noise and the lights went out. But dont be alarmed.. "Anger is associated with any form of destructive arson." For example, one of Orrs fires took place at a Kmart shopping center, and so did one in the book, the LA Times reported. manchester united annual turnover; what dallas city council district am i in why did john leonard orr start fires. Mr. Orr, now in. The hunt for an arsonist is a personal mission for Godfrey, who worked in California when a fellow firefighter was convicted of setting about 2,000 fires in the Los Angeles area in the 1980s and 1990s. This book is written with lots of detail and lots of characters so you have to pay attention. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. When cigarettes and a scrap of paper connected the southern California fires to several fires further north, the hunt was on for a dangerous pyromaniac. John Leonard Orr Explained [11] Orr's fingerprint did not match. A young man on a forklift jumped off the vehicle and cried, My God, its a fire! And he took off running. John Leonard Orr - WikiMili, The Best Wikipedia Reader Thank you for supporting our partners, who make it possible for The Lineup to continue publishing the true crime and creepy stories you love. She may have heard Matthew asking when he was going to get his ice cream. He betrayed the trust, E.R. And while Eisele awaited the arrival of engine companies, and while Jim Obdam was led to the back of an ambulance, and while Billy Deal stood in front of Oles Home Center, where he would remain for twenty-two hours, and while John Orr shot film of the conflagration, the roof caved in and a geyser of flame and sparks exploded high into the night. why did john leonard orr start fires. Related: UPDATE: Investigators Release New Evidence in the Chilling, Years-Long Cold Case of the Long Island Serial Killer. The latest episode of Deadly Secrets on Investigation Discovery explores this distressing case. He was a high-school senior and a talented athlete. 92-50235 in the Court of Appeals for . Albeit anonymously. The district court found the manuscript was prejudicial because "the points of origin and methods of starting the arson fires described in the manuscript do not appear to the Court to be so unique as to justify the conclusion that defendant must have had first-hand . John Orr - The Pillow Pyro - Fire Captain on a Fire Spree - Wickedwe They found a highly detailed description of a similar fire in his novel Points of Origin which tells the story of a fireman who is also a serial arsonist. Sign up for The Lineups newsletter, and get our most chilling reads delivered straight to your inbox. [21] Burned features several court documents, fresh interviews with Orr and never-before-revealed evidence. ", However, in this case, that may not be the motivation, according to Robert Rowe the CEO of Pyrocop, Inc. "I don't believe that this particular individual is sticking around to watch his work," he said, adding that he thinks the culprit's aim is most likely to "create as much damage and wreak as much havoc as possible.". Orr was found to possess all of the component parts of the incendiary devices allegedly used to set the arson fires that he stood accused of setting. During the mid-1980s, a series of fires began to plague Los Angeles in Southern California, which caused millions of dollars worth of damage. radcliff ky city council candidates 2020 Are there any more people in your section? he asked Carolyn Krause. [13] On March 29, 1991, Tom Campuzanno of the Los Angeles Arson Task Force circulated a flier at a meeting of the Fire Investigators Regional Strike Team (FIRST), an organization formed by a group of smaller cities in and around Los Angeles County that did not have their own staff of arson investigators. United States of America, Plaintiff-appellee, v. John Leonard Orr The flier described the modus operandi of the suspected serial arsonist in the Los Angeles area. Orr turned the offer down out of hand. He was one of three boys. A shopping plaza hardware store caught fire, claiming four lives in the savage blaze. However, on April 17, 1991, Orr was arrested for starting fires in the areasof Fresno and Los Angeles when hisfingerprintswere found at the scene of a fire. school of professional studies acceptance rate duplexes for rent in lebanon, mo duplexes for rent in lebanon, mo Read on for an excerpt of Fire Lover, and then download the book! In the Edgar Award-winning true crime book Fire Lover, celebrated true crime author Joseph Wambaugh draws on case records, court transcripts, interviews, and his own in-depth research to reconstruct Orrs shocking spree. It was at that time that police began monitoring Orr. In January 1987, a convention for arson investigators from California was held in the city of Fresno. Growing up, he always wanted to join the police department, but failed the entrance exam and instead became a career fire officer and arson investigator. ", Garrett speculated that this may be a contributing factor to the most recent string of arsons: "It would appear that primary motive may not be killing people, the primary motive may be attention because he is setting fires to vehicles that are not apparently occupied. A jury found him guilty, and he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. This item: Points of Origin: Playing With Fire. By - June 6, 2022. The most informative, researched, and entertaining true crime stories on the internet. Pyromania Disorder Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment - Healthline During a search of his home investigators found a 350-page manuscript for a novel Orr had written, which read almost like a confession. He staggered to the back wall and duck-walked his way along, feeling the wall and feeling merchandise, feeling anything to guide him. Fire Captain Orr was active with the first investigation team and attended the majority of these arson investigations. Last edited on 25 February 2023, at 08:00, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Books of the Times; A Firefighter Unable to Resist the Flame", "Case 98: The Pillow Pyro - Casefile: True Crime Podcast", "Firehouse Magazine Archives September 1998", "Additional material for Court TV's documentary, "The Firestarter - John Orr", "TR-141 Special Report: Firefighter Arson", "Arson Investigator-Novelist Is Charged With Setting Fires". Deputy District Attorney Michael Cabral and Sandra Flannery presented evidence that showed Orr had engaged in what they described as a distinctive pattern of criminal behaviour, in which he set fires during daytime hours in polyfoam materials in the rear of occuid businesses and used a signature time-delay device. Among them are a woman and her 3-year-old grandson, Matthew. Related: The Best True Crime Documentaries on Netflix You Can Stream This April. [15], Orr was then investigated and watched for several months. The findings of the hardware store investigation showed that the fire caught very quickly, less than five minutes after starting, and spread across the entire Pasadena hardware store in highly-flammable polyurethane products which caused the fire the flashover rapidly. Orr was correct, of course, because he set the blaze. On October 10, 1984, in South Pasadena, California, a major fire broke out at an Ole's Home Center hardware store located in a shopping plaza. Five people are killed. He added "it becomes a thrill, something that gives them purpose every day.