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The sheer nature in which these acts are reported, combined with the previous position of such high public trust that was held by this suspect is disturbing.

We worked together. I respected them. I looked up to them. I've racked my brain as to why.

It's kind of creepy and it's also just kind of just blows your mind.

For Vault Studios, I'm Will Johnson.

You're listening to The Daily Crime.

Over a span of almost 10 years, a serial arsonist has been on the loose just outside of Washington, D.C.

In this surveillance video, you can hear the gasoline being poured.

Arson captured in progress. Looked outside, saw an orange glow, thought it was my neighbor's house

on fire. I came out, checked the driveway, the garage was on fire, the cars were on fire.

The fact that the fire started on the outside of the home while the occupants were sleeping

could have set the stage for a catastrophic outcome.

I'm joined by reporter Tom Dempsey, who has covered this story for WUSA 9 in Washington.

Tom, this case involves a string of suspicious fires going back 10 years or so in a number of

counties just to the north of D.C., the D.C. suburbs, basically.

Yeah, a lot of unexplained

fires that some of the victims felt were arson even right after they happened. First one took

place in 2011 all the way up to, I believe it was November of 2020 was the most recent one.

You know, as a reporter, I've been in this

industry for what, I think, just over 10, maybe 11 years now at this point. Yeah. And, you know,

I would never say just when you thought you've seen it all, because no journalist ever thinks

that this case was just crazy to see some of the details behind it. And there are some similarities to these fires as well that would eventually help lead

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