Related: Terrifyingly Real: 8 Award-Winning True Crime Books. From the mid-1980s to 1991, a wave of arsons swept through Central and Southern California. These devices were usually deposited in densely populated linen stores and left to slowly burn. With Orrs arrest, arson investigators determined that the number of brush fires in the nearby foothill areas around Los Angeles had decreased by over ninety percent. Could it possibly be one of their own ? The flier described the modus operandi of the suspected serial arsonist in the Los Angeles area. Throughout the mid-1980s and early-1990s, Los Angeles was plagued by a series of fires which claimed the lives of four people in 1984, and cost the state millions of dollars in damages. Talk about Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. A jury found him guilty, and he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. john leonard orr(born April 26, 1949) is an American former firefighter, novelist, and convicted arsonist and murderer. Yukio Yamaji / Said he could not forget the feeling of killing his mother. Related: The Best True Crime Documentaries on Netflix You Can Stream This April. An episode of the PBS science series Nova titled "Hunt for the Serial Arsonist" (airing November 14, 1995) chronicled his story. 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. according to Dr. Joel Dvoskin, a member of the American Board of Forensic Psychology. why did john leonard orr start fires 10. Investigators finally found a fingerprint, and it pointed to a most unlikely suspect. folder_opendo soulmates separate and reunite [The suspect] had the right stuff in his van, and we are very confident we found our man," Beck said. Dylan Eason and Isaiah Churchwell were convicted of murdering Cynthia William "Patrick" Alexander remains in prison for murder. Frank C . 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. True story of John Leonard Orr, a serial arsonist who is believed to have started more than 2000 fires leaving victims and damage. On October 10, 1984, a fire broke out inside the Oles Home Center hardware store located in a plaza on Fair Oaks Avenue in southern Pasadena, California, and trapped the shoppers and employees inside. The connections and circumstantial evidence held ground, however. Maybe not directly, personally to them, but it draws attention to their behavior. 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. Yes, it must be a closing announcement, he thought. [22] After much deliberation, a federal jury in Fresno convicted Orr on July 31, 1992 of three counts of arson, while acquitting him on two other counts. On June 26, 1998, a jury in a California state court convicted Orr of four counts of first-degree murder, in relation to the 1984 hardware store fire, with special circumstances in a 25 count indictment, deadlocking on only one of the 25 counts, which was subsequently dismissed at the request of the prosecution. But this arsonist was methodical in his crime spreehe used makeshift incendiary timing-devices to ignite blazes in open and populated stores, while also setting off smaller fires on grassy hillsides to draw the attention of fire departments away from his true target. The book chronicles acts of arson and bears several striking similarities with the real-life 1984 fire. 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. [3][21] When questioned, Orr stated the novel is a work of fiction and has no relation to any actual events. He was near the north fire door, about two aisles away, when he looked back toward that column of smoke. Orr was found to be the cause of those fires. Orr's story was earlier chronicled by bestselling true crime author Joseph Wambaugh in his book Fire Lover. The most informative, researched, and entertaining true crime stories on the internet. What was the cause of the John Leonard Orr fire? And he was out. The jury disagreed with this defence and found him guilty of murder in connection with the Oles fire. The most alarming connection between the manuscript and the real fires was Oles Home Center case. 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 knowledge of the facts . In 1984, California firefighters had battled ten arson fires in three weeks. It was at that time that police began monitoring Orr. You just drive around the park, he said, rolling to a stop as he peered out an open window, and listen,' as observed by a journalist from the Los Angeles Times. Ada said she was going to the paint department. Orr was a fire captain and arson investigator for the Glendale Fire Department in Southern California. Of great interest to the prosecution was the authors inclusion of a fire started in a department store called Cals, in which four people, including a grandmother and her 2-year-old grandson perished. A Lie To Die For Sneak: Retired Fire Investigator Says He Thought Serial Arsonist Might Be A 'Wannabe' Investigator. But without further evidence Casey could not prove his theory. His lawyers said, He had no choice in the matter. Yet more damning evidence was presented from his book. This was the case with one of the most famous serial arsonists in Los Angeles history, John Leonard Orr. He loved the inadvertent attention he derived from the newspaper coverage and hated it when he wasnt properly recognized'. John Leonard (February 25, 1939 - November 5, 2008) was an American literary, television, film, and cultural critic. 24-10-2022 48 mins. Scott Baker told producers of A Lie To Die For. Baker worked at the California Fire Marshal Office as an investigator, and he shared his disappointment with Orr as a once-trusted fireman. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. By some estimates, this one-time chief arson investigator for the Glendale Fire Department . Amongst the names on the list was John Leonard Orr, the Glendale fire Captain. By the time fire crews arrived at the scene the building was almost completely destroyed and four people had died in the blaze. His story was recounted in 2019 on Investigation Discovery's Deadly Secrets in the episode "The Fire Inside", and Oxygen's A Lie To Die For in the episode "The Heat Of Deceit." 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. Magazine covers for the Master Detective publication for the year 1955. All except John Orr. Arson. 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. He provided them with a copy of the fingerprint that he had recovered from one of the crime scenes, and Campuzanno used improved fingerprint technology to locate a suspect. [31] Federal ATF agent Mike Matassa believes that Orr set nearly 2,000 fires between 1984 and 1991. He was convicted of serial arson and four counts of murder. As an adult, he joined the Air Force and their fire-fighter school. In May 1991, Orr discovered the tracking device hidden in his vehicle, but he did not become aware of a second tracking device later installed in November 1991 inside his city vehicle. The Pillow Pyro earned his nickname after where he preferred to start his fires; he'd typically target linen shops or fabric stores. He then approached the Los Angeles Fire Department, only to be rejected once again. It wasnt his fault. He betrayed the honor of the brotherhood of the gals and the guys thatll work in this career field.. The story has been chronicled by bestselling true crime author Frank Girardot,[33] who co-wrote a biography of Orr in collaboration with Orr's daughter, Lori Kovach, entitled Burned. Orr had originally wanted to be a police officer, but had failed his entrance exam; instead he became a dedicated fire investigator and career fire officer. Found the resolution to each, I know who really killed Chanin, her husband did not, I have so many questions about this story. Writings in the American Fire Journal of former Glendale, California fire chief, arson investigator, and convicted arsonist John Leonard Orr, 1987 to 1989. Moreover, he kept them all together in his car. Related: Robert Fry: How One Thanksgiving Night Kicked Off A Four-Year Murder Spree, Weve got to leave the store, Jim Obdam told her. Cabral said, the lesson that this case teaches us is that no one should be above suspicion when it comes to criminal activity. Jurors were later deadlocked 8-4 in favour of the death penalty, and State law requires a death penalty recommendation to be unanimous. He told them to leave the store at once. Scouts and coaches who knew him in other NFL cities were actively trying to . By compare odysseus emotions with telemachus when they are reunitedcompare odysseus emotions with telemachus when they are reunited He added "it becomes a thrill, something that gives them purpose every day. 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. In the 1980s and 1990s, Los Angeles was plagued by a series . A 2021 episode of HLNs Very Scary People featured him, titled "Firestarter: A Wall of Flames". Pleading for John Orr's life, his lawyers Monday called a psychiatrist who said the former Glendale arson investigator, who faces a possible death sentence for murder, was driven to torch. This site uses cookies to improve user experience. Orr was a fire captain and arson investigator for the Glendale Fire Department in Southern California. Seven years and many fires later, police arrested Orr at his home. John Orr was born and raised in Los Angeles. He was honorably discharged from the Air Force in April 1971. Regardless of the motives, once a firefighter intentionally starts a fire, a criminal act has been com-mitted. He would often arrive at the scene of a fire, stroke his moustache whilst looking up at the sky and then point to an area, declaring it to be the point of origin. Orr was a fire captain and arson investigator for the Glendale Fire Department in Southern California. Imprisoned at. Orr wrote in the manuscript that the fictional grandmother was going to take her grandson out for mint chocolate chip ice cream after their trip to the hardware store. John Orr was found to be the cause of most of those fires. [6] This, sadly, does not mean that the deaths of his 4 victims were rapid. His parents divorced when he was young. Or perhaps not. Prior to the Oles fire and the fire at Vons Market, there had been a fire in nearby Pasadena, at Albertsons Market on East Sierra Madre Boulevard, about seven miles from Oles. Federal Judge Oliver Wanger sentenced Orr to 30 years in prison. Investigators found a piece of paper that was part of the device that started a Craft Mart fire with a fingerprint that matched Orrs left ring finger, according to the Los Angeles Times. Related: Doctor of Death: The Twisted, Decades-Long Crime Spree of Michael Swango. He was convicted of serial arson and four counts . He was just about to give up. manchester united annual turnover; what dallas city council district am i in why did john leonard orr start fires. Construction. Orr, a former fire captain is believed to be responsible for nearly 2,000 fires in the Los Angeles area between 1984 and 1991. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s Los Angeles was plagued by a series of fires that cost millions of dollars in damages and claimed four lives. Another motive can be a desire for attention, Garrett said. Orr was arrested in December 1991 after federal investigators, suspecting his link to fires, began to track his movements. A California appeals court vacated nine years of his state sentence on March 15, 2000, finding that the burning of homes in the College Hills blaze had only been incidental to his objective of starting a brush fire. He was convicted of serial arson and four counts of murder. Carolyn Krause was married to an LAPD lieutenant and had two young children of her own. But the intensity and movement of a wildfire ultimately depends on three factors: fuel, weather and topography. 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. Though he still maintains his innocence to this day, John Orr was convicted on four counts of first-degree murder, and nearly two dozen counts of arson. He was one of three boys. 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. [14] By cross-referencing the print with a database of all past applicants for law enforcement posts in Los Angeles County, they discovered that the print was an exact match to Orr's left ring finger. He saw people heading toward the exits, but still was not alarmed when he arrived at the paint department. Orr was a fire captain and arson investigator for the Glendale Fire Department in Southern California.He was convicted of serial arson and four counts of murder. Investigators found the charred remnants of what appeared to be a simple incendiary device of a filter-tipped cigarette and matches, all held together with a rubber band, the tell-tale sign of an arsonist they dubbed the Pillow Pyro, because of his fondness for setting fires in fabric shops. "Anger is associated with any form of destructive arson." From '84 to '91, . The unsold novel is titled ``Points of Origin.'' On Friday, its 49-year-old author, John Leonard Orr, a once-respected . A jury found him guilty, and he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. [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. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. When I start to read John Leonard, it is as though I, while simply looking for the men's room, . He is a TEACHER! 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. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. But arson investigator John Orr insisted that the fire was deliberately set. "Arson: The Scorched-Earth Obsession - Newsweek Magazine, November 5, 2007. 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. On 10 October 1984, a large fire broke out at an Oles Home Center hardware store located in a shopping plaza in South Pasadena, California. 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. [34] The investigation that led to Orr's arrest and conviction was recounted on the episode "Diary of a Serial Arsonist" of the A&E Network's true crime series Cold Case Files[35] and also on an episode of Casefile True Crime Podcast. Want more true crime? In the 1980s and 1990s, Los Angeles was plagued by a series of fires that cost millions of dollars in damages and claimed four lives. Arson investigator Scott McClure had arrived at Albertsons at 6:45 P.M. and met with a battalion chief for a quick briefing. Pyromania About John Orr Childhood A disorder in which one sets fire to an object on more than one occasion Done purposely or deliberately One is has a interest in, attraction to, or curiosity in fire and how it works One gains pleasure, gratification, or relief when sets fire Born April 29, 1949 Previously a fire captain and arson investigator No products in the cart. John Orr as one of the investigators insisted that the cause of the fire was arson. And someone else who was in that store may have heard him too. Campuzanno and two of his colleagues met with Casey, who shared his belief that the perpetrator was an arson investigator from the Los Angeles area. Orr was the fire captain and arson investigator for the Glendale Fire Department in Southern California. This turned out to be true in real life, and the only person who knew this information was the childs grandfather, who was at the store at the time and narrowly escaped, Assistant District Attorney Michael Cabral told producers of A Lie To Die For. Cabral said they concluded that Orr must have near the fire in order to know such specific information. Orr continued with his career, and uncanny ability to sniff out the root cause of accidental fires and deliberate cases of arson. After investigations done later, it emerged that the fire started in a highly flammable substance made from polyurethane products. ", "They feel outside of the world, they're angry at the world. Copyright 2021 The True Crime Database. Five people are killed. He was holding his breath, low to the floor, and he dropped even lower, desperate for the same oxygen that the fire craved. John Leonard Orr (born April 26, 1949) is an American former firefighter and novelist. Sign up for The Lineups newsletter, and get our most chilling reads delivered straight to your inbox. ", For the roughly one third of arsonists who return to the scene of the crime, the primary attraction can be a desire for control and power. 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. Unfortunately for Orr, it was not the experience he hoped for. 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. And Jim Obdam suddenly felt alone and trapped. why did john leonard orr start fires. John earned a carry permit, applying and becoming an arson investigator, eventually attaining the rank of captain. [23] Orr maintains his innocence, notwithstanding his subsequent guilty plea on March 24, 1993, to three more counts of arson in Los Angeles after reaching a plea agreement that saw him paroled from federal prison in 2002. By December, investigators had accumulated enough evidence to warrant and arrest, when Orr was present at a suspicious fire. Whatre you doing here? Eisele asked. The modus operandi of John Orr was to set fires using an incendiary timing-device, usually a cigarette with a rubber band wrapped around the end wedged into a matchbook, in stores while they . As fires spread from Bakersfield to Pacific Grove and Los Angeles, it soon became clear that the serial arsonist was not an outsider. Orr was a fire captain and arson investigator for the Glendale Fire Department in Southern California. The dismissal of Chiefs general manager John Dorsey was met, almost universally, with shock. After hed ordered his firefighters off the roof of the hardware store, and after the interior attack was aborted, Captain Eisele found John Orr standing at the rear of his engine carrying a thirty-five-millimeter camera. In January 1987, a convention for arson investigators from California was held in the city of Fresno. [17] Orr rushed to a nearby police explosives range, thinking it was a bomb. Jim Obdam hurried toward the west end of the store, looking for customers. Orr turned the offer down out of hand. Orr wrote. 92-50235 in the Court of Appeals for . Hes currently serving life in prison. In the nearby town of Tulare, another drugstore and fabric shop went up in flames, followed by a fire which broke out in a display of dried flowers in a Bakersfield crafts shop. [16] Authorities hid a tracking device in his personal vehicle. During his arson spree, John Orr was given the nickname the Pillow Pyro by arson investigators. This item: Points of Origin: Playing With Fire. That steel door had dropped down. When Orr was serving at Glendale station, "he developed a penchant for teaching arson investigation tactics and skills to his fellow arson investigators around the state," explains Kary Antholis, who hosts the "Firebug" podcast that centers on the arsonist and arson investigator. The shocking story of arson investigator John Leonard Orr began in 1984. He was able to conclude how each one had been started, and where, and was always on hand to talk to reporters after a fire broke out, or reassure the public that his investigation was doing everything to catch the culprit. This gripping account guides readers through the arsonists life and crimes, detailing the millions of dollars in damage and tragic deaths caused by his attacks, and revealing the major mistake that led to his downfall. Kids That Kill. Orr insisted that the manuscript was fiction, and in 1991, he wrote a letter to a literary agency described it as a fact-based work that follows the pattern of an actual arsonist that has been setting serial fires in California over the past eight years, according to AP News. When McClure later finished his investigation and returned to his car, he heard radio reports of the disaster that was unfolding seven miles away at Oles Home Center and he sped toward the scene. It's very difficult to review this case, as there, The FBi has been murdering people for years since their, Clearly its hard for some people to understand that although, What is taking so long? why did john leonard orr start fires 10. Yes! 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. Orr is currently serving a life sentence in connection with the fires. Orr had an insatiable need for recognition and glory. It didnt take this long. The next day arson investigators across Southern California attended the scene and concluded unanimously that the cause of the fire was attributed to an electrical fault. One particular fire destroyed a piece of television history, when a blaze was started at a Warner Brothers lot, which burnt down the set of the The Waltons television show. The police were alerted by FIRST, and Orr was told that the device was a hoax. The fire took less than five minutes to spread across the entire Pasadena hardware store, and four people were killed, as told on A Lie To Die For, which airs Sunday nights on Oxygen. Upon his detention, the suspect told authorities "I hate America," according to ABC News sources directly involved in the case, a statement that experts say demonstrates the sort of anger typical of a serial arsonist. McClure had found the point of origin easily enough, in the grocery racks piled high with bags of potato chips. By the late 1990s and early 1991, another series of fires began in Southern California, this time centred in and around the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The defence read out a position of his manuscript which read, Aaron wanted the Cals fire to be called arson. 0. But then a peculiar thing happened. [6] When asked to sentence Orr to the death penalty, the same jury split eight to four in favor. December 4, 1991. Points of Truth: Revelations of "the most prolific serial arsonist of the 20th century". by John L. Orr Paperback. The burning was started with malice, that is, with the specific intent of destroying property. Orr passed all the tests except for those based on mental health, prompting the Police Department to send him a letter saying he was unsuitable. Speculation has been that he wanted his work to be recognized. Stiles preferred incendiary device of choice was made of a cigarette and matches held together with rubber bands, exactly the same as those found at the real Californian fires. A bell chimed in the lumber area: Ting ting ting. Thats how Billy Deal described it. Orr was correct, of course, because he set the blaze. The shocking story of arson investigator John Leonard Orr began in 1984. Pyromania is very rare and incredibly under-researched, so its actual occurrence is hard to determine. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. John! A&E Television Networks, "Firebug, New Podcast from Marc Smerling's Truth Media, Unravels Story of Serial Arsonist Burning Down Southern California - Sony Music", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=John_Leonard_Orr&oldid=1141481030, Federal: Transferred to CA custody in 2002, This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 08:00. He knew there were steps to an emergency exit in the back stockroom. Scott Baker of the California State Fire Marshal's Office was at that meeting, and told Campuzanno about the series of arsons investigated by Casey and about Casey's suspicions that the perpetrator was an arson investigator from the Los Angeles area. Deadly Secrets A Fire Inside, airs at 9:00 p.m. on Investigation Discovery. However, this time he was able to locate a small additional clue, that of a partial fingerprint. He was then invited to test for the LAPD. In the 1980s and 1990s, Los Angeles was plagued by a series of fires that cost millions of dollars in damages and claimed four lives. [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. A fuel's composition, including moisture . Fire Captain Orr was active with the first investigation team and attended the majority of these arson investigations. 3434 carolina southern belle; why is austria a developed country; why did john leonard orr start fires. As Leonard recalled his own advice: "I told Barry, before he started shooting, 'When someone delivers a funny line, I hope you don't cut to another actor to get a reaction, like a grin or a . Facebook Twitter Reddit WhatsApp Telegram Share [20], After his arrest, arson investigators began a forensic re-evaluation of the Ole's fire. Orr, a former fire captain is believed to be responsible for nearly 2,000 fires in the Los Angeles area between 1984 and 1991. By compare odysseus emotions with telemachus when they are reunitedcompare odysseus emotions with telemachus when they are reunited John Orr was a walking contradiction. [10] By comparing the list of attendees from the Fresno conference with the list of attendees at the Pacific Grove conference, Casey was able to create a short list of ten suspects. He was also ordered to pay $90,000 in restitution. A young man on a forklift jumped off the vehicle and cried, My God, its a fire! And he took off running. Juni 2022. . Following high school, Orr joined the US Air Force; in 1967, he shipped out for basic training, later transferring to Air Force firefighting school. California State Prison, Centinela. funny organization names The character also happened to be a firefighter, and the fires he set paralleled with the ones investigators were probing. 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. Arson investigators examined the ruins and determined that the fire was caused by an electrical malfunction. Working in the housewares department that evening was seventeen-year-old Jimmy Cetina. He was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and three counts of arson, though Orr maintained his innocence. [7] This, combined with the recovery of a single unmatched fingerprint left on a piece of notebook paper as part of a time-delay incendiary device,[8] led Captain Marvin G. Casey of the Bakersfield Fire Department (BFD) to suspect that an arson investigator from the Los Angeles area was responsible for these arsons.[9]. He continued to protest his innocence, despite his guilty plea on March 24, 1993, to three more counts of arson, including a 1990 fire at a Builders Emporium in North Hollywood, and two others near Atescadero in 1989. [] For now the people of Los Angeles can only wait, hoping that the fires will stop and the man in police custody is the real arsonist. [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.