Canadian man accused in arson of Ogden house
Police in Oregon have arrested a 21-year-old Canadian man accused of setting fire to a home at 1071 37th St., in an attempt to get a 17-year-old girl's attention. Investigators believe the man was stalking the girl after their relationship went sour.
"He's gone to extreme lengths trying to locate this juvenile. When that didn't succeed, he came down here, he made some threats that her relatives were going to suffer if he wasn't able to talk to her," Ogden Police Lt. Tony Fox said Thursday.
Police said Jason Scott Murray met the girl over the Internet years ago and the two eventually started a relationship. In June, she went to visit him in Canada. Her family filed a missing persons report but never pursued it when she returned in August. The girl claimed to have been assaulted by him, Fox said.
Investigators said Murray called several people trying to find her and sent threatening e-mails that culminated in Tuesday's fire at the home that belonged to one of the girl's relatives. A neighbor spotted the smoke and flames, woke up the family and got them out safely. A cat died in the fire.
Police contacted Murray's family in Canada, who sent photos of him to investigators. Officers took the photos to local motels and located a taxi driver who said he'd driven Murray around town, Fox said. That led them to a bus that left Ogden headed for Washington state, where the girl lived. The bus was stopped in Oregon where Murray was apprehended.
Ogden Fire Marshal Matt Schwenk refused to reveal how the fire was started or where. He said investigators would likely wait to question Murray if he is extradited to Utah. Investigators said the young man had identified three homes of the girl's relatives — one in Washington state, one in Layton and the home in Ogden.
The fire is the latest in a string of arsons in Ogden. An abandoned home at 1823 Kiesel Ave. was torched twice — once on Tuesday and again on Wednesday. Another abandoned property two houses away also burned on Tuesday.
"We're interviewing witnesses. We've asked the people in the neighborhood if they see suspicious people, note what they're wearing and get photos if possible," Schwenk said. "We're trying to see if we can catch someone at this."
The homes are boarded up and slated to be part of redevelopment in the area, but Schwenk said investigators did not believe it was tied to that. Anyone with information is urged to call Ogden fire authorities.
E-mail: bwinslow@desnews.com
Recent comments
He was a volenteer firefighter in his home town of Barrhead in Canada
Susan | Oct. 17, 2008 at 8:15 p.m.
he shouldn't have done that. You can't find happiness in love if…
miss cookie | Oct. 9, 2008 at 4:39 p.m.
that is good that they did that he needed to be arrested he doesnt…
eric | Oct. 9, 2008 at 2:43 p.m.
