The Anatomy of Public Corruption

Pete Speaks Publicly - People Die September 23rd 2014

The Irony of Public Law 
I am sitting just out of view.  On Tuesday she was speaking about suicide prevention feeding another lame presentation. Sitting my right is Lt. Jeff Muell who interceded on July 4th, 2011 at the Danville Parade. I shared with a sworn peace officer while Mayor Newell Arnerich looked on about the endless attacks linked to March 2011 FBI arrests.  They did nothing and two weeks later my car was totaled.

About ten minutes later I shared with the Supervisors.  I have two minutes to make points on forty years of murders, arson and about the many suicides, assaults and murder suicides.  Here I am bearing all for the public to hear.

Four days later my relatives are dead from Murder Suicide.


Suicide Prevention Awareness Month (The Irony)
On September 23rd, 2014 I took the podium at the Contra Costa Board of Supervisor where I spoke passionately about Gas Pipeline Explosions, Arson, Murder Suicides and Murders of my clients.
Four days later fate strikes Bennett again.
Over in Springville UT just four short days later the Strack Family, a family of five was discovered by family members and the mother. my relatives were murdered and the irony is the woman was speaking about Suicide Prevention Awareness Month.


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Killer REITS–dying for Developers

Walnut Creek CA

Walnut Creek CA
This page is placeholder for a person not seen since December 2013.  

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#H1bVisaMurders - AllNurses.com - The National Murder Suicide Network

Police officers checking the welfare of residents at a home in the west metro city of Greenwood on Thursday came upon a scene their chief called “unspeakable” — the bodies of five family members, including three teenagers.
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The five bodies bore traumatic injuries and were scattered throughout the large house on Channel Drive. The deaths appeared to be a multiple murder-suicide, said South Lake Minnetonka interim Police Chief Mike Siitari.
 
The family — a father, mother and three teenagers — had not been seen for a couple of days at work or school, and the father’s co-workers had asked police to check on them, he said.
“This is a complex crime scene” that will take several days to sort through, Siitari said.
 
He declined to release the victims’ names, ages, or manner of death, or to say who might have been the killer. But a notice on the father’s work website said that the victims were the home’s owners, Brian and Karen Short, and their three children.
 
The home, built in 1998, is near Lake Minnetonka’s St. Albans Bay. It last sold in September 2011 for $2 million to the Shorts, according to Hennepin County property records. The couple’s three children, Cole, 17; Madison, 15, and Brooklyn, 14, all attended Minnetonka High School.
Brian Short, a nurse, founded the website AllNurses.com, which provides information and resources for and about the nursing profession. His business is headquartered in Excelsior.
An administrator of the AllNurses.com website posted this message Thursday night:
“It is with great regret and a very heavy heart that I have to share some very sad news with you. There is no easy way to say this. … Brian and his family have been killed. The news is calling it an apparent murder-suicide. … No matter what the details are, the results are still the same … a very tragic loss for the extended families, friends, co-workers and this nursing community.”
Comments poured into the site, including one that said: “Brian created something with allnurses.com that has left a positive impact on the nursing profession and the future of nursing. He will be remembered with deep respect for his role in that.”
Karen Short’s brother and Brian Short’s older brother said the family wasn’t ready to talk about the tragedy, while friends wrestled with the shock.
They will all be missed
“I can’t even fathom it,” said Kathy Lausche, who became friends with the family when they lived in Lakeville. “They were just your normal, typical family,” she said. “Their lives revolved around their kids.”
Brian and Karen Short were “at every single soccer game,” said Toni Plante.
So it seemed odd Tuesday when she didn’t see Brooklyn Short on the field or her parents on the sidelines for the soccer game on the first day of school. She later learned from her daughter, Ana, that Brooklyn, a high school freshman, wasn’t at school.
“Brooklyn is a really good student, and it wouldn’t be like her to miss the first day of school,” Plante said.
On Wednesday evening, Plante said she texted Karen Short to ask if Brooklyn was all right. She never heard back.
“This is just too sad,” she said. “They were the nicest people in the world. There was nothing snooty about them at all. They were just down to earth.”
Brooklyn was just the “sweetest girl. So inquisitive. A darling girl,” Plante said. She and her daughter were talking last week about how neither girl liked to dress up. “They figured they should wear grubby clothes and go to homecoming together.”
Plante realized she would have to break the awful news to her daughter. “This is going to be tough.”
“It’s just shocking,” said Jeff Bergsten, a neighbor of the Shorts when they lived in Lakeville. The family sometimes returned to their old neighborhood for parties and graduations.
“[Brian Short] was a real generous guy with his time and conversation,” Bergsten said. Short was a Green Bay Packers fan who had a successful Internet business and could talk about any subject.
Karen Short was “a lovely lady,” said former Lakeville neighbor Tami Scribner. “She was just laid back and her smile was always there.”
Neighbor Doug Plocek found police cars blocking his street when he came home Thursday and heard that there was a death in the Shorts’ house, then an update that it was the whole family.
“The neighbors went into shock,” he said. “To me, there was no indication whatsoever how that could have happened.”
He said Brian Short always appeared happy, easily greeting neighbors and sharing his love of cars, particularly Teslas. Plocek said he often saw Short clearing snow in the winter or saw the children walking with friends on their quiet street, which has only nine houses on it.
“They were good neighbors,” he said. “This whole thing, we’re trying to wrap our heads around it.”
Of the neighborhood, Plocek said, “We’ve never even had a break-in. To have something of this magnitude and it involves children — it just tears me apart.”
As evening fell, investigators from the South Lake Minnetonka police and Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office continued their work at the scene. The Hennepin County medical examiner’s office will conduct autopsies.
Scanner conversations between police and dispatchers indicated that all the victims appeared to have died of severe injuries.
After entering the home, officers found a small dog, then began a search and discovered the bodies, one by one, in different areas of the house.
The extent of the horror unfolded over several minutes as officers went from room to room.
One victim was found in a bedroom, a second in the basement garage, two others in the basement and the last in a lower-level bedroom.
Siitari said he had never seen a scene so grim in his three decades of police work, and that it was extremely difficult for the officers involved.
“There are no words to describe it. … It’s a tragedy,” he said. “This is a tough one to handle.”
kelly.smith@startribune.com 612-673-4141
mlsmith@startribune.com 612-673-4788
pwalsh@startribune.com 612-673-4482
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From PG&E, Southern Pacific, San Onofre to Domestic Terrorism sponsored by the City of Lafayette CA Police


The Risk Pool is at Risk


April 12, 2012: a pipe-bomb found on Iron Horse Trail - e.g. the Southern Pacific Tracks.
April 18, 2012: Nate Greenan killed in car accident on WB-24 in Orinda CA


Mr. Christensen obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Financial Planning from Brigham Young University in 1980 and an MBA from the Yale School of Management in 1985. He has served as trustee of multiple trusts since 1997. Currently, Mr. Christensen serves on the National Advisory Council for the Marriott School of Management, the International Advisory Council of the International Center for Law & Religion at the J. Reuben Clark School of Law, and the President's Leadership Council at Brigham Young University. He also serves on the Policy Advisory Board of the Fisher Center for Real Estate & Urban Economics at University of California, Berkeley.


Dave Christensen is a Co-founder and Managing Principal of Milestone. Prior to Milestone, Mr. Christensen served as Co-President of Nearon Enterprises for over 20 years, from 1993 until June 2014. From 1985 until 1992, he was with Bechtel Investments Realty in San Francisco.
Background:


On July 4th, 2011, I bumped into David Christian and Danville Mayor Newell Arnerich who each deflected my inquiries, Arnerich was keenly aware of unfolding CNET or Dirty DUI Scandal where Danville Officer Stephen Tanabe had been recently arrested.

I first met Dave at the Alamo 1st Ward where my ex-wife was baptized into the Mormon Faith in 1975. That connection binds her to Rick Kopf, James Greenan and Chris Ivory. That also binds them to who knows who rigged my truck to explode in 2004.

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Connecting The Safeway Murders - My personal 30 year story

Background: During the 1980's I operated a large commercial casework cabinet shop.

Clients: Mace Rich, Simon Stores, Contra Costa College District, Safeway, Wendy's, Bank of America, Wells Fargo and City of Walnut Creek plus PG&E, Chevron and AT&T.


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Agencies:
DEA Dir
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California Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom former Mayor of SF - Appor

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The Christensen Clan - A Panoply Of Fraudsters connected to Convicted Felons in Federal Prison

Coming Soon
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Calera Capital - SterlingBackcheck painting the link to Explosions, Murder and Coverups

Calera Capital Completes Sale of SterlingBackcheck to Goldman Sachs and CDPQ

BOSTON & SAN FRANCISCO--()--Calera Capital, a leading middle-market private equity firm, today announced that it has completed the sale of its majority interest in SterlingBackcheck, one of the largest background screening companies in the world, to Goldman Sachs’ Merchant Banking Division and La Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ).
“Our company has benefitted immeasurably from Calera’s guidance and experience. We look forward to building on the strong foundation our partnership with Calera has created as we embark on the next phase of the company’s evolution with Goldman Sachs and CDPQ.”
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Calera Capital acquired a majority interest in SterlingBackcheck in December 2010.
“Our strategy is to invest in companies which have developed strong and unique business models, but have substantial untapped potential,” stated Mark Williamson, a managing partner of Calera Capital. “Through active involvement, and a strong partnership with management, we seek to help our portfolio companies attain the highest level of operating performance. SterlingBackcheck’s transformational ascent to the leadership position it commands today is a clear demonstration of the successful execution of this strategy.”
“We were very fortunate to have had the opportunity to partner with Calera Capital for the past four and a half years,” said Clare Hart, CEO of SterlingBackcheck. “Our company has benefitted immeasurably from Calera’s guidance and experience. We look forward to building on the strong foundation our partnership with Calera has created as we embark on the next phase of the company’s evolution with Goldman Sachs and CDPQ.”
“A key element of our strategy is to invest with founders seeking a partner to help take their businesses to the next level,” stated Paul Walsh, operating partner of Calera Capital. “Billy Greenblatt, SterlingBackcheck’s founder and an ongoing shareholder in the business, is an extraordinary entrepreneur and our relationship with him, as well as with the entire SterlingBackcheck management team, could not have been more successful and personally satisfying. We wish the team well and are confident they will continue to thrive with their new partners.”
Mark Williamson, Paul Walsh and Michael Moon, managing director, represented Calera on the board of SterlingBackcheck. Terms of the transactions were not disclosed.
About SterlingBackcheck
SterlingBackcheck is one of the largest background screening companies in the world. Established in 1975, SterlingBackcheck is chosen by more than 25% of the Fortune 100, 20% of the FTSE 100 and more than 20,000 organizations to help them hire and retain the right people. As a global background screening leader, SterlingBackcheck employs almost 3,000 people in five countries and its team offers expertise in compliance, client experience and applicant experience. Connected by the world’s most advanced background check technology platform, SterlingBackcheck continuously reinvests in its business and its customers to ensure it remains a global leader. To learn more about SterlingBackcheck, please visit:www.sterlingbackcheck.com
SterlingBackcheck is a trademark of Sterling Infosystems, Inc.
About Calera Capital
Founded in 1991, Calera Capital is a private investment firm which has invested over $2.8 billion. With offices in San Francisco and Boston, Calera focuses its activities in two industry sectors: Business Services and Specialty Industrials. Calera Capital makes substantial equity investments in middle-market businesses, typically with enterprise values in the range of $100 million to $750 million, and seeks to build long-term sustainable value by working with management teams to implement strategic and operating initiatives. For more information, visit: www.caleracapital.com.

Contacts

Muirfield Partners
(310) 785-0810
Mickey Mandelbaum
mickey@muirfieldpartners.com
Maya Pogoda
maya@muirfieldpartners.com
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Voodo Investigators- The Murder of San Franciso Police Officer Lester Garnier



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9/11 Links: Fremont Group Board of Advisors

Connecting the Mission Bay Fire

Pete Bennett knows parties in this organization connect to the matter of Bennett vs. Southern Pacific

Fremont Group Board of Advisors

We bring the credibility and global network of relationships from one of the largest family-owned businesses in the world.
Riley Bechtel – Chairman of the Board of Bechtel Group, Inc.; Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; Honorary Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers; Honorary Lifetime member of the American Society of Safety Engineers.
Stephen Bechtel, Jr. – Chairman Emeritus, Fremont Group and Chairman Emeritus and Director, Bechtel Group, Inc.; Fellow of the Academy of Arts and Sciences and Eagle Scout and Silver Buffalo – Boy Scouts of America.
Richard Cavanagh – Former President and CEO of The Conference Board.; Former Executive Dean of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University; Director of Black Rock Mutual Funds and Guardian Life Insurance Company.
Ernest Cockrell – Chairman of Cockrell Interests, Inc.; Former Chairman of Cockrell Oil Company; Director of Amegy Bank of Texas.
Alan Dachs – President and CEO of Fremont Group; Director of Bechtel Group, Inc.; Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; Trustee of the Brookings Institution; Chairman of The Conference Board.
Deborah Duncan – Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Fremont Group; Former Executive Vice President for J.P. Morgan Chase Bank’s Global Asset Management and Mutual Funds Division; Director of Guardian Life Insurance Company.
David O’Reilly – Former Chairman and CEO of Chevron Corporation; Director of Bechtel Group, Inc. and Ocean Exploration Trust.
Bob Peck – Managing Director of FPR Partners, Fremont Group; Formerly head of public equities with Perot Investments.
George Shultz (Retired) – Former U.S. Secretary of State, U.S. Secretary of Treasury, U.S. Secretary of Labor.; Former Director and President, Bechtel Group, Inc.; Distinguished Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution.
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OBIT: Patricia Perry just another Murder Suicide?

Updated: Mon, Jul 6, 2015, 9:36 pm

Danville police investigate apparent murder-suicide in Crow Canyon

Former San Ramon poet laureate allegedly killed by husband, who then shot himself



Danville police chief Steve Simpkins speaks about the apparent murder-suicide during a press conference early Monday evening. (Photo by Jeremy Walsh)
Town police are investigating the deaths of a Danville couple in a suspected murder-suicide in the Crow Canyon Country Club community Monday morning, according to department officials. 

The preliminary investigation indicates 77-year-old Edward Perry shot and killed his wife, Patricia "Pat" Perry, and then killed himself, Danville police chief Steve Simpkins said during a press conference early Monday evening. 

Pat Perry, 67, was a retired San Ramon city employee and served as the city's first-ever poet laureate. 

"Patricia Perry's willingness to provide exemplary, prompt and efficient assistance to internal and external customers earned her the title 'GOA' -- Goddess of All. She will be missed greatly by those she touched in the city family," San Ramon assistant city manager Eric Figueroa said in a statement.
The San Ramon city flag will be flown at half-staff on Tuesday in remembrance of Pat Perry, according to Figueroa. 

The incident inside the Perrys' home in the 700 block of Glen Eagle Court was discovered soon after Danville police arrived at the residence within the Crow Canyon Country Club gates around 7:45 a.m. Monday, according to Simpkins. 

Emergency dispatch had received a 9-1-1 hangup call several minutes earlier, he said. 

After arriving on scene, officers heard what sounded like a gunshot, and after deeming it safe to enter, they made their way into the home, Simpkins said.
Once inside, officers found Edward Perry dead in the front doorway from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to Simpkins. 

Police carried on their search of the home and discovered Pat Perry deceased in the kitchen, having sustained two gunshots, the police chief said. No other people were found in the home and there were no signs forced entry, Simpkins added. 

Detectives are continuing to investigate the case but have not yet found a potential cause for the apparent murder-suicide, according to Simpkins. 

"It was obvious to us when we did our investigation that it was a murder and then a suicide, but we don't know what the factors leading up to that are," the police chief said. 

Danville police had responded to a domestic disturbance call at the residence in 2011, but no arrests were made, Simpkins said, noting that investigators will review that case. 

Pat Perry's death has been deemed the town's first murder since 2009, according to Simpkins.
"This is certainly a tragedy. It's not something we often respond to. And our hearts go out to all the involved families and the city employees of our neighbors to the south," Simpkins added,
Pat Perry worked for more than two decades as a San Ramon city employee, according to Figueroa.
She started in 1989 as city clerk/redevelopment secretary and over her career was promoted various times, ending her career as a division manager in 2010. In retirement, Pat Perry continued to support San Ramon as a special project consultant for four years for the city manager and executive team. 

She also held the distinction of being named San Ramon's first poet laureate in 2006, serving in that position for three years. She contributed more than 40 poems for civic events such as Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Sept. 11, Figueroa noted. 

It was not immediately clear what Edward Perry's profession was, according to Simpkins
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PG&E Sniper - International/Domestic/Insider/Lobbyist Terrorism

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The Braddock & Logan Eviction of Forrest Lupo - Evicting the Elderly Friends with Board of Supervisors

4155 Blackhawk Plaza Circle Suite 201 Danville, CA 94526 Telephone: (925) 736-4000 Email: sales@braddockandlogan.com
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Ivory Consulting Walnut Creek - The connection #Catepillar #MormonMurders and Mitt Romney

In 2004 I was drawn into the Mormon Church at Alamo 1st, by summer my truck exploded.  By Sept 27th, 2014 my Mormon relatives the Strack's were dead.

There is a link between that 2004 Arson, the PG&E Explosions in San Bruno, Fresno and the 2004 Walnut Creek Explosion which happens to lead to former Judge Golub whose brother strongly connects to Nixon Peabody Energy lobby as Howard v. Golub is former PG&E General Counsel for for Regulatory affairs.

Howard you're friends are Rick Kopf who is friends with the Saudi's via the Bin Laden Family



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CBS 48 Hours: The Country Club Murders

Bootstrap Thumbnail First

Murder Suicide #4

First these relatives connected to friends and family, by definition cousins once removed. My brother Alex Bennett, my sister-in-law Kathy Hak are related to Mary Hak Strack and Ernie Strack.

We share the same hometown,

The Fremont Group Connection to Witness Murder
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Evidence Tampering

CBS 48 Hours: The Country Club Murders

In 2010, persons in my offices I know suspect are behind many arson fires in Contra Costa County plus Bay Area. Right around the time of San Bruno Explosion two individuals were in my offices. Just before my business was shattered by suspects the Scherer's were murdered allegedly by their son but in 2012, a person of interest and solid connector to this case turned up with a pretty good match to the alleged murder weapon.
Like the Kinder Morgan explosion suddenly it was Clam Shell Investigations.  We can get on 48 Hours but we won't talk about newly developed information. 
  • Suspect A: Ernie Scherer III  (represented by Mormon Attorney) 
  • Suspect B: None
  • Witness A: Sister
  • Witness B: Ex-wife
  • Connectors: Alamo 1st Ward, Danville Stake, 
  • Known to Parties: Walnut Creek Bishop Matthew Lyons 
The Death Of Accenture Employee Murder

Murder Victims: Ernie and Ardoth Scherer

  • Devout t Mormon's where all members are assigned Wards configured in Stakes under Temples.
  • The Golub Conspiracy :
  • Howard V. Golub ~ Former General Counsel for PG&E CPUC and Regulatory Affairs 

Murder Victims: The Judge lacked but the execution was completed

  • Superior Court Judge Joel Golub who connects to the CNET Scandal involving CAL Department of justice Commander Norman Wielsch but also connects Judges, Attorneys, Deputy's and DDA to the same story.
  • Suspect E:Attorney Lisa Trapani former associate of Atty. Dick Grossman (C), retired Walnut Creek PD, Former Bomb Squad Leader, tampered with known Federal Witness, strong connections to the

The Golub Conspiracy
CNET Conspiracy 

Suspect D: Contra Costa County Deputy Vince Jimenez (Sus/Vic) places Armando Ibarra in Bennett's cell, Ibarra taken off meds, planned arrest timed and premeditated intent to harm or kill, Bennett even stronger connection to the CNET Conspiracy

Suspect E: Walnut Creek Officer Vessor (F) who arrested Bennett at Safeway parking lot at 600 S. Broadway Walnut Creek CA, site of many Bennett incidents, work location of Suicide Victim Jamie Sheets then embroiled in the Bacteria case with Doc's Pharmacy Walnut Creek WC1-2001 ,
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US Airways Flight 1549

 US Airways Flight 1549


On January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549, an Airbus A320 piloted by Captain Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger and First Officer Jeffrey Skiles, made an unpowered emergency water landing in the Hudson River after multiple bird strikes caused both jet engines to fail. All 155 occupants, the passengers and crew, successfully evacuated from the partially submerged airframe as it sank into the river; they were rescued by nearby watercraft. Several occupants suffered injuries, a few of them serious, but only one required hospitalization overnight. The incident came to be known as the "Miracle on the Hudson", and Captain Sullenberger was soon regarded as a hero by some accounts.[4][5][6]
The aircraft was an Airbus A320-200, registered N106US, operating as a US Airways scheduled domestic commercial passenger flight from LaGuardia Airport in New York City to Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte, North Carolina. About three minutes into the flight, at 3:27 p.m. EST, the plane struck a flock of Canada geese during its initial climb out from LaGuardia, just northeast of the George Washington Bridge. The bird strike caused both jet engines to quickly lose power.
As the aircraft lost altitude, the flight deck crew decided that the plane could not reach the closest airfield. They turned southbound and glided over the Hudson, finally ditching the airliner off midtown Manhattan near the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, about three minutes after losing power.
The entire crew of Flight 1549 was awarded the Master's Medal of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators. The award citation read, "This emergency ditching and evacuation, with the loss of no lives, is a heroic and unique aviation achievement."[7] National Transportation Safety Board member Kitty Higgins described the feat as "the most successful ditching in aviation history."[8][9]
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ARSONISTS AND FIRESETTERS


ARSONISTS AND FIRESETTERS
"Fire makes for a good servant, but a bad master" (Roger L'Estrange)   
    Arsonists are a varied group of offenders who come from different backgrounds, but the common denominator is that they take enjoyment out of seeing things destroyed by fire or burning.  They even take joy in the aftermath of a burning; i.e., after things have been burned.  The emphasis on burning is clearly evident in the FBI definition of arson as "any willful or malicious burning or attempting to burn, with or without intent to defraud."  As DeHaan (2002) points out, the burning is started with malice.  There is a specific intent to destroy property.  Likewise, the term "firesetting" (typically reserved for describing juveniles or adolescents) conveys a sense of malicious intent (usually in chronic, repetitive behavior) far greater than the term "fireplay" (typically reserved for young juveniles) which conveys a lesser degree of malice or intent (Putnam & Kirkpatrick 2005).  Note also that the law specifies "willful" in conjunction with malicious, so this means that, at least in terms of legal definitions, there is a presumption that all perpetrators of arson are sane.  

    That being said, most juvenile fire-setting is usually a product of antisocial personality (Forehand et al. 1991) while juvenile fireplay is usually a product of curiosity or recklessness (Cox-Jones et al. 1990).  Adult arson is usually a product of vanity or egocentricity (Orr 1989).  When the perpetrator is male, the motivation is more cold-blooded or instrumental; and when the perpetrator is female, the motivation is more hot-blooded, emotional, or affective (Gannon 2010).  Professor James Ogloff, director of the Centre for Forensic Science at Monash University in Australia, says the profile of a typical fire setter is male, late teens/early 20s, unattractive, unmarried, shy, socially isolated, and with lower intelligence.  About a third of perpetrators have co-morbid psychiatric conditions including schizophrenia, and mood and/or personality disorders (usually narcissism).  About half have prior criminal convictions.  One of the more curious clinical characteristics is the apparent lack of motive (typically reserved for the so-called pyromaniac).  No arsonist shows remorse, but only the pyromaniac lacks conscious motivation although they are fully aware of the acts they are committing.  It's as if their mind "blocks off" or conceals short-term memory of whatever rational thought they put into their devious plans.  For this reason, clinicians often characterize the motivation as a combination of pathological and non-pathological.    
    For both arsonists and fire setters, fire is an instrument of power and a weapon on choice.  It is the instrument they believe helps them get ahead in life or at least create a sense of control and/or power that they find absent in their lives.  It is for this reason that most perpetrators come from lower socio-economic backgrounds.  Such people look upon fire as the ultimate weapon, the kind which can be used for both instrumental and expressive purposes.  Setting a fire for instrumental purposes (to achieve a goal) has been less studied than setting fire to fulfill some pathological, expressive need.  It has been found that arsonists and firesetters have co-occurring psychopathologies, such as antisocial behavior, sexual promiscuity, substance abuse, and cigarette smoking; and that these correlates have far more predictive validity than the ones once thought associated, like bedwetting and cruelty to animals (Slavkin 2000).
     Most psychological profiles are drawn from clinical assessments of captured offenders (Kolko 2002), and by best estimates, may only account for 40% of all known offenders.  Also, it is usually admitted that significant overlap may exist between "types" of offenders.  For example, the clinical literature recognized four (4) types of firesetters, as follows:
  • curious -- uses fire out of fascination
  • pathological -- uses fire out of deep-seated individual dysfunction
  • expressive -- uses fire as a cry for help or to vent emotions
  • delinquent -- uses fire for antisocial or destructive ends      
     The most common overlap is between the expressive and delinquent types.  The distinguishing characteristic may be stress.  A truly "expressive" type would likely have accumulated enough stress in their life (or led an uneventful life) so that they seek to vent frustration.  However, such motives are also typically associated with vandalism and shoplifting, and it is unknown why some choose one path over another.  A truly "delinquent" type enjoys the power which comes from seeing a substantial reaction or response, such as the arrival of police and fire departments (Macht & Mack 1968).  Curious types can be easily persuaded about the dangers of firesetting.  Pathological types need treatment, and there is some controversy over what is the best mental health treatment.
     Among adult arsonists, pathological types are not impossible, but most typological efforts have been restricted to sorting out key types which are significantly different from the pyromaniac (Lewis and Yarnell 1951; Rider 1980), as follows:
  • jealousy motivated -- uses fire to get back at some insult to his vanity
  • pseudo hero -- uses fire to rush in and make a rescue, save a life, etc.
  • fire buff -- like a police groupie, only with firefighters
  • excitement oriented -- uses fire out of boredom (like the expressive type) and simple methods
  • pyromaniac -- uses fire repeatedly as a kind of neurotic obsessive-compulsive behavior      
PYROMANIA
    The definition of pyromania has changed considerably over time.  One of the many paradoxes in criminology is that pyromaniacs have long been seen as acting without any "apparent motive."  Clearly, it involves an impulse control problem, and often, a pyromaniac will tell you that they didn't really want to hurt anybody or destroy anything; they simply wanted to achieve their "high" of fascination by watching something burn.  There is much we don't understand about pyromaniacs.  Geller et al. (1997) say that to make a psychological diagnosis of one, they must meet five criteria:
  • deliberate firesetting on multiple occasions
  • tension or arousal before setting the fire
  • feeling of relief or pleasure while setting the fire or watching afterward
  • an intense interest or obsession with fire and its associated characteristics
  • absence of any other motivating factors (e.g., money, revenge) for setting the fire
    Holmes and Holmes (2009) provide a good overview of the common elements in the profile of a typical pyromaniac, adapted as follows:
Profile of a Pyromaniac
Age, Race, Gender, Intelligence ages 16-28, White, Male, range from mental defective to genius
Physical defects, Mental disorders frequently present, psychopathy, obsessive-compulsive pattern
Academic adjustment underachiever, some intellectual brightness, but performance marginal
Family background unhappy home life, harsh, inconsistent, or neglectful parenting
Social class background most from middle or upper levels, some lower
Social, marital, sexual adjustment severe interpersonal problems, poor marriages, sexual maladjustments
Occupational history resentful over only having had subservient positions
Criminal history delinquency, runaway, burglary, theft, other property offenses
Personality misfit, feeble, a physical coward, feelings of inadequacy, introverted, reclusive, lonely, wounded self-esteem, craving for power and prestige, inability to express remorse, ambivalent toward authority
Motives desire to be center of attention, render themselves useful, and show themselves clever
Triggering events accumulation of stress, frustration, tension, loss of employment, death of loved one, threat to sense of potency
     
Pyromaniacs typically set fires in haste or in a disorganized manner (although organized, older types exist who use elaborate incendiary devices), and are also known to enjoy setting off false alarms.  Their activity is nocturnal.  They have little regard for human life; i.e., it doesn't matter if the property is occupied or not.  At the time of setting the fire, pyromaniacs would describe a kind of trance-like state comes over them, almost as if they were controlled by an external force.  After setting the fire, pyromaniacs would describe a sense of relief.  Some enjoy playing detective at the fire scene.  Most, except for the jealousy-motivated or revenge-oriented types, will frequently return to the crime scene.  Some even turn themselves into the police.  They often readily confess or admit guilt, although they express no remorse or regret.  They are usually cooperative under arrest.

SERIAL ARSON
     Other researchers (Kocsis & Cooksey 2002) have tried to narrow down the profile of a serial arsonist.  There are not only many kinds of offenders, but multiple offenses by the same offender.  Arsonists typically commit nearly a hundred arsons before getting caught.  Numerous motives compel arson:  financial reward, politics, concealment of another crime, attention seeking, revenge, and anger.  A fundamental tenet of behavioral profiling is that if you know the what and why, the who will follow.  Therefore, sometimes behavioral profilers are called in to testify during an arson trial.  They usually present research findings which suggest a profile of the typical arsonist as someone who may be seriously mentally ill and/or intoxicated at the time of the offense, which can be argued as mitigating responsibility.  A full-blown pyromania defense (or claim of pyromania) doesn't work in court.  That's because, in the forensic setting, pyromania is quite rare.  It's far better to simply use the phrase "serial arsonist," but the characteristics for that are somewhat different.  Sapp et al. (1997) found most serial arsonists were white males around the age of 27, with a tenth grade level education and almost all had prior arrests and convictions. Below is a summary of the emerging profiling characteristics for serial arsonists:     

Profile of a Serial Arsonist
AGE: 10-14 (26%), majority under 18 (51%) if adult, late 20s, never over 35 if adult, revenge or profit motive
SEX: 9 out of 10 times (90%) a male; if female, revenge type
RACE: 3 out of 4 times (75%) a white; black (20%) of time if first-timer; Native Americans 3rd largest group
CLASS: majority from lower to working class; middle class if vandalism or excitement
IQ: vast majority subnormal (70-90) with 22% in retarded range (below 70), rare genius
FAMILY: absent or abusive father, history of emotional problems with family/mother; single (65%)
SCHOOL: learning problems and usually held back a grade in school, normally in 10th grade; younger (grades 6-8) if vandalism; despite lack of formal education, may be of average to above average intelligence however
PEERS: social misfit, interpersonal problems with opposite sex, appears physically and emotionally weak compared to peers; but often does manage to involve an accomplice in arson (20%)
WORK: usually chooses subservient position and then resents it (both ambivalent and resentful toward authority-repressed); unemployed if vandal, excite, or profit; otherwise a laborer
CRIMINAL HISTORY: numerous status offenses as juvenile, property crimes, almost all have arrest records
DRUG/ALCOHOL: not usually a problem, but involvement with
SEXUAL HISTORY: 25% report being homosexual or bisexual
MENTAL: lack of remorse may appear as psychopathy, but more typically result of obsessive-compulsive disassociative trance-like state during firesetting
ARREST: majority remain at crime scene except revenge, conceal, profit types; some (25%) attempt suicide in lockup; most easily confess thru cooperation

The SIX MAIN TYPES ACCORDING TO THE FBI CLASSIFICATION MANUAL:

ARSON FOR REVENGE (41%) - precipitating factor is a real or imagined affront that occured months or years ago; attack is focused on individual rivals, a business chain, schools, or some facilities connected with offender
ARSON FOR EXCITEMENT (30%) - precipitating factor is boredom, (sexual) thrill cycle, or need for attention; attack is focused on large or outdoor targets, like parks, construction sites, arenas, as well as residential areas
ARSON FOR VANDALISM (7%) - precipitating factor is family disturbance or peer pressure; attack if usually focused on educational facility as well as residences and outdoors
ARSON FOR PROFIT (5%) - precipitating factor is a recent financial loss which triggers an urge to cheat the insurance company, recoup a bad investment, or dispose of some depreciated assets
ARSON FOR CRIME CONCEALMENT (10%) - precipitating factor is a desire to cover up some other criminal activity, such as auto theft or murder
ARSON FOR EXTREMISM (7%) - precipitating factor is to further a social, political, or religious cause, or to burn down buildings associated with specific races or religions
    Serial arson is defined as an offense involving three or more fires with a significant cooling off period between the fires.  The exact length of this cooling off period is unknown.  Douglas et al. (1997:186-7) say the cooling off period may last days, weeks, or even years.  Serial arson is also different from double arson, triple arson, spree arson, and mass arson.  What all these different types have in common is the repetitive nature of the crime. 
SAMPLE INTERVIEW WITH A SERIAL ARSONIST
I (Interviewer): What do you think gets kids in trouble?
 O (Offender): From the minute they're a baby and they grow up they see what their family does and what their family does they're going to do.  Parents think they are helping a kid by beating them, but it makes them worse.
 I: Do you feel your problems stem from the way your father punished you?
 O: Yeah, for example, once when I was 6 or 7, I saw a can of red paint in the garage, and I drew a red stripe down the side of the neighbor's car.  Now I could see getting a spanking for that, but not for little things like "Hi Dad, what's for lunch?"  When I was little I was always asking questions, and Dad would just give me a smack and say "Don't bother me".
 I: What was your mother like? Did she love you?
 O: When I was 3 my mom left because he abused her. I saw him knock her teeth out, slam her against the wall, and he took me and my brother and rammed our heads together to knock us out.  Mom eventually came back all the time after stuff like this, but he was too abusive to let her show her love.
 I: Was peer pressure a factor is what you did {a string of 16 serial arsons aimed at business establishments, schools, and churches}?
 O: No, I wasn't talking much to anybody, but that's what I wanted to do. I wanted to be with the "in" crowd, but they were too rowdy.
 I: Have you experimented with drugs?
 O: I've seen kids commit murder and things like that while needing drugs, like crack.  I used to take it myself. You get high for about a minute or two, then depressed, and then it makes you feel dirty and not wanted and things like that. It makes you feel YUCK.
 I: Was lack of money a big problem with you and your family?
 O: You know, kids see themselves and their family not having much and other people having it and making it, and it's a strong feeling inside.  Everyone wants money, and there's all kinds of wrong ways to get it, but you can't get greedy, you know, or you'll get caught.
 I: What importance did school and church play in your life?
 O: School sucks and makes you stupider and stupider.  There ain't no learning going on.  Sometimes the teacher treats you like "Well, just sit there if your hands hurt and you can't write an assignment" or they give you something stupid to do just to get you out of their way.  Church never really was a factor in our family.  Mom was religious a bit, but we never went to church.
 I: What do you think causes a fascination with fire?
 O:  Well, it's probably a lot of things.  People telling you you're good for nothing, seeing everything around you getting worse and worse.  Torching a place kind of lets you feel good for awhile, like you're somebody important.  It's also a natural high in itself. You never know how bad it's gonna get and it does bring people out to clean up the community.
 I: Did you do it for the fun, revenge, or what?
 O: Different reasons. It's enjoyable, you know. Different people like to do different things.  Some like to steal or beat people up, and what I did helped me at the time to sort through what passes for a so-called life.  There's lots of other bad stuff I could've done, but I didn't.  There's a lot of work involved in picking a place to torch and how you're gonna do it.
 I: What do you think about the people you killed and hurt {One of the offender's fires killed a business owner who was sleeping inside; two fires resulted in serious injury}? Do you feel any remorse?
 O: They weren't supposed to be there, but if they were, they should've gotten out of the way.  I can't control everything, and I guess I'm sorry, but nobody understands the extremes you go through once you start doing this stuff and how solid your reasons are for doing it.
 I: What do you think would help prevent this kind of behavior in other people?
 O: I dunno, maybe more money poured into the community, less crazy stuff on TV.  You know, I can point to music videos and certain TV shows which helped give me ideas.  There's just too much bad stuff out there, and too few choices for anything else.
A COMPARISON OF ARSONISTS AND RAPISTS
 Arson
-Nation’s fastest-growing crime.
-50% of all fires (incendiary & suspicious), determined by ruling out other factors: electrical, accidential, natural, unknown
-Legal elements: burning, intent, malice
-Characteristics of "firesetters":
AGE: 10-14 (26%), majority under 18 (51%) if adult, late 20s, never over 35 if adult, revenge or profit motive
SEX: 9 out of 10 times (90%) a male; if female, revenge type
RACE: 3 out of 4 times (75%) a white; black (20%) of time if first-timer; Native Americans 3rd largest group
CLASS: majority from lower to working class; middle class if vandalism or excitement
IQ: vast majority subnormal (70-90) with 22% in retarded range (below 70), rare genius
FAMILY: absent or abusive father, history of emotional problems with family/mother
SCHOOL: learning problems and usually held back a grade in school, normally in 10th grade; younger (grades 6-8) if vandalism
PEERS: social misfit, interpersonal problems with opposite sex, appears physically and emotionally weak compared to peers
WORK: usually chooses subservient position and then resents it (both ambivalent and resentful toward authority-repressed); unemployed if vandal, excite, or profit
CRIMINAL HISTORY: numerous status offenses as juvenile, property crimes, almost all have arrest records
DRUG/ALCOHOL: no problem
MENTAL: lack of remorse may appear as psychopathy, but more typically result of obsessive-compulsive disassociative trance-like state during firesetting
ARREST: majority remain at crime scene except revenge, conceal, profit types; some attempt suicide in lockup; most easily confess thru cooperation
TYPES other than concealers or for profit (who constitute 22% of total):
ARSON FOR REVENGE (41%) - precipitating factor is a real or imagined affront that occured months or years ago; attack is focused on individual rivals, a business chain, schools, or some facilities connected with offender
ARSON FOR EXCITEMENT (30%) - precipitating factor is boredom, (sexual) thrill cycle, or need for attention; attack is focused on large or outdoor targets, like parks, construction sites, arenas, as well as residential areas
ARSON FOR VANDALISM (7%) - precipitating factor is family disturbance or peer pressure; attack if usually focused on educational facility as well as residences and outdoors
ARSON FOR PROFIT (5%)
ARSON FOR CRIME CONCEALMENT (17%)
 Rape
-One of world’s first felonies; for many years, only crime to have a nonconsent factor; filled with cultural overtones
-Statistics misleading: time clock method estimates beating against woman every 20 seconds, rape every 20 minutes
-Apprehension rates high and conviction rates low
-Nonreporting problem before "shield laws"; estimates were that less than 10% of rapes were reported
-Fairly constant 15% false reporting rate
-Characteristics of rapists:
AGE: 75% under age 25, 80% under age 30; over 30 if sadistic type
SEX: male normally 100% of the time
RACE: Vast majority are black (75-90% of rapists in prison are black); crime tends to be intra-racial; rapists are usually unarmed; 1 in 4 times (25%) uses a knife or instrument.
CLASS: majority are from poverty-lower class backgrounds
IQ: majority in normal range 90-110
FAMILY: sibling history more important than family history, may have been sibling bed sharing, overt sexual behavior in family with siblings and/or (sadistic) mother; lack of support from (absent) father; temper tantrums as child
SCHOOL: usually no learning problems and typically a high school graduate; some college possible; discipline problems likely, most likely involving pornography interest
PEERS: mild to moderate social maladjustments, but normally one of the "boys"; tries to cultivate a reputation as a tough fighter, but known as a punk and low life to many; usually married, divorced, or lives with a women, in that order, but has demonstrated poor relations with women
WORK: majority work reliably around women; lack self-confidence to improve self; if sadistic, takes better job
CRIMINAL HISTORY: majority are successful at avoiding this; average of 2.5 priors, only 2 years served on each
DRUG/ALCOHOL: noted problems in this area
MENTAL: antisocial personality; defines self as normal in every way except sexually, where suffers a known philia or mania; ritualism may border on psychotic with sadistic type
ARREST: frequently leaves clues with victim; plays games with police; difficult to get confession
TYPES based on Hale’s research, not Scully’s:
POWER REASSURANCE (30%) - precipitating factor is lonliness and lack of self-esteem on 7-15 day cycle; neighborhood nonviolent attacks; keeps souvenirs, thinks victim liked it
POWER ASSERTIVE (30%) - precipitating factor is desire to dominate an impersonal sex partner on 20-25 day cycle; cruises singles bars, acts macho; may repeat on same victim
ANGER RETALIATION (24%)- precipitating factor is perceived injustice at hands of women on 6-12 month cycle; sees self as athletic and masculine, action-oriented; uses blitz attack
SADISTIC (16%)- precipitating factor is need to express fantasy; compulsive in personal appearance; carries rape kit; learns better ways to stalk, and will eventually kill
PRINTED RESOURCES
Cox-Jones, C., Lubetsky, M., Fultz, S. & Kilko, D. (1990). "Inpatient psychiatric treatment of a young recidivist firesetter." Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 29(6): 936-41.
DeHaan, J. (2002). Kirk's Fire Investigation, 5e. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall.
Douglas, J., Bergess, A., Burgess, A. & Ressler, R. (1997). Crime classification manual. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
Forehand, R., Wierson, M., Frame, C., Kempton, T. & Aristead, L. (1991). "Juvenile firesetting: A unique syndrome of an advanced study of antisocial behavior." Behavioral Research Therapy 29: 125-28.
Gannon, T. (2010). "Female arsonists: Key features, psychopathologies and treatment needs." Psychiatry: Interpersonal and Biological Processes: 73, 173-189.
Geller, J. McDermeit, M. & Brown, J. (1997). "Pyromania? What does it mean?" Journal of Forensic Science 42(6): 1052-57.
Holmes, R. & Holmes, S. (2009). Profiling Violent Crimes: An Investigative Tool, 4e. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
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Inciardi, J. (1970). The Adult Firesetter: A Typology. Criminology 8: 145-55.
Kocsis, R. & Cooksey, R. (2002). "Criminal Psychological Profiling of Serial Arson Crimes." International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology 46:631-656.
Kolko, D. (Ed.) (2002). Handbook on firesetting in children and youth. Boston: Academic Press.
Lentini, J. (2005). Scientific Protocols for Fire Investigation. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
Lewis, N. & Yarnell, H. (1951). Pathological firesetting (pyromaniac) (Vol. 2). NY: Cooporidge Foundation.
Macht, L. & Mack, J. (1968). "The firesetter syndrome." Psychiatry 31: 277-88.
Midkiff, C. (1982). "Arson and Explosion Investigation" in R. Saferstein (ed.) Forensic Science Handbook, Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall.
Moenssens, Starrs, Henderson & F. Inbau. (1995). Scientific Evidence in Civil and Criminal Cases. Westbury, NY: Foundation Press.
Orr, J. (1989). "Profiles in arson: The vanity firesetter."  American Fire Journal, July: 24-27.
Parenteau, R. (2012). "Serial arson." Pp. 124-144 in K. Borgeson & K. Kuehnle (eds.) Serial Offenders. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett.
Putnam, C. & Kirkpatrick, J. (2005). "Juvenile firesetting: A research overview." OJJDP Bulletin [pdf available online]
Rider, A. (1980). "The firesetter: A psychological profile." FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin 49: 7-17.
Sapp, A., Huff, T., Gary, G. and Icove, D. (1994). "A motive-based offender analysis of serial arsonists." Interfire website.
Slavkin, M. (2000). "Enuresis, firesetting, and cruelty to animals: Does the ego triad show predictive validity?" Adolescence 36(143): 461-66.
Last updated: Mar. 05, 2012
Not an official webpage of APSU, copyright restrictions apply, see Megalinks in Criminal Justice
Citation: O'Connor, T.  (2012). "Arsonists and Firesetters,"  MegaLinks in Criminal Justice. Retrieved from http://www.drtomoconnor.com/4050/4050lect04a.htm.

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