• Arsonists are some of the most stealthy, mysterious and down-right malicious criminals in. history. ...
• Paul Keller. Paul Keller is one of the most notorious serial arsonists in American history. ...
• Marc Thompson. ...
• Terry Barton. ...
• Jason Robert Bourque and Daniel George McAllister.

Who is the most famous arsonist?

Thomas A. Sweatt is a convicted serial arsonist. One of the most prolific arsonists in American history, Sweatt set over 350 fires in and around Washington, D.C., most of which occurred in 2003 and 2004.

What was the biggest arson?

Julio González, a recently unemployed Cuban factory worker, became one of history's most infamous arsonists after he set fire to the Happy Land night club in the Bronx. It was one of the deadliest arson attacks in history, with only six of the club's 93 occupants making it out with their life.

Who commits the most arson?

Findings revealed that most serial arsonists were young white males; 58.7 percent of fires were set by offenders before 18 years of age, and 79.7 percent were set before 29 years of age.

Who is the king of arson?

Paul Kenneth Keller (born January 6, 1966) is a serial arsonist and convicted murderer from Lynnwood, Washington. He is serving 107 years in prison and will be eligible for parole in 2079. He was convicted of setting over 107 fires and admitted to setting over 76 of them.

5 Insane Serial ARSONISTS

How common are arsonists?

Nationwide, there were 13.3 arson offenses for every 100,000 inhabitants.

Is Paul Keller a sociopath?

He is not a sociopath." Rather, Keller's life was marked by a series of traumatic episodes - from an untied umbilical cord at birth that nearly cost him his life to undiagnosed Attention Deficit Disorder - that Ferguson argues led to his later criminal activity.

Are most arsonists male or female?

About 90% of all arsonists are male and they are usually white, states the FBI report.

Are arsonists sociopaths?

The organized arsonist is the most difficult to detect of all violent serial offenders, but he is like the others in that he's clearly sociopathic: He's indifferent to societal values, lacking in empathy, hedonistic, breathtakingly egocentric and manipulative, often intelligent and charming -- and wears the mask of ...

Which state has the most arsonists?

A review of the 7,065* fires listed in BATS as “Incendiary or Arson” by location (State) revealed the highest number of incidents were reported in Florida (859), followed by Texas (805) and then California (689).

What percent of serial arsonists are male?

Most serial arsonists are young, white (82 percent) males (94 percent).

Are arsonists mentally ill?

90% of arsonists had recorded mental health histories, and of those 36% had the major mental illness of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. 64% were abusing alcohol or drugs at the time of their firesetting. Pyromania was only diagnosed in three of the 283 cases.

Are men more likely to be arsonists?

Women make up only a small percentage of arsonists, said Wang, a fourth-year medical student at McMaster University. "It's hard to know the true number, but in most studies [the ratio of males to females] is somewhere between 5 to 1 and 10 to 1."

Who is a famous pyromaniac?

Paul Keller

Paul Keller is one of the most notorious serial arsonists in American history. This Seattle man is responsible for at least 70 fires and three deaths in and around the Seattle area during the '80s and '90s, with unsolved cases even popping up in recent years.

Do arsonists get caught?

Despite the meticulous work of investigators, many arson fires are never solved. There are arrests in only about 10% of arson fires nationally, said Jim Thornton, a Los Angeles fire investigator who has testified in more than 100 criminal cases. Even fewer cases are actually taken to court.

Who was the DC arsonist?

For 25 years, the serial arsonist Thomas Sweatt terrorized neighborhoods throughout the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. When at last he was arrested in 2005, he confessed to over 340 arson-set fires that claimed the lives of 4 people.

What sort of person becomes an arsonist?

Of those arsonists referred for psychiatric assessment, between 8 and 76 percent have a diagnosis of schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders. Mental retardation and low intellectual functioning have also received considerable attention in the arson and firesetting literature.

Are all arsonists pyromaniacs?

Although an arsonist can have pyromania, most arsonists don't have it. They may, however, have other diagnosable mental health conditions or be socially isolated. At the same time, a person with pyromania may not commit an act of arson.

What is a arsonist personality?

LOW INTELLIGENCE AND LACK OF ACHIEVEMENT ARE OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH AN ARSONIST PERSONALITY. SEXUAL AND SOCIAL INADEQUACIES AND BEDWETTING AS A CHILD ARE ALSO OFTEN CORRELATED WITH FIRE SETTING. MOST OF THE LITERATURE ON ARSONISTS IS FROM STUDIES CONDUCTED 25 YEARS AGO, AND MORE CURRENT INFORMATION IS BADLY NEEDED.

Are arsonists psychopaths?

Such individuals are frequently referred to as psychopaths. They have a reckless disregard for the safety of self or others. They show no remorse for harm caused to others. Most repeat psychopathic arsonists also abuse alcohol and/or drugs, and dramatically increased their usage right before the fire-setting.

What are the most common reasons of arson?

Motivation for Arson

• Fraud (insurance-related)
• Personal profit.
• Concealment of another crime.
• Vandalism.
• Excitement (including pyromania)
• Social protest, riot, and terrorism.
• Revenge or retaliation.
• Jealousy.

What was wrong with Paul Keller?

Keller was born in Everett, Washington, to staunch Lutherans George and Margaret Keller. At the moment of his birth, his umbilical cord had prematurely detached, causing a blood loss which nearly cost him his life. His diagnosed hyperactivity would later be blamed on this early traumatic event.

What is the average age of an arsonist?

The mean age of arsonists with aggressive motives is a little below 30 years, those setting fire with suicidal motives have a mean age of 35, deluded arsonists have a mean age of 40 years. Concrete sexual motives are relatively rare. Approximately 50% of arsonists have a purely aggressive motive.

What are the six signs of arson?

Common Signs of Arson

• The damage is significant.
• Burn pattern discrepancy. ...
• Lack of accidental causes.
• Evidence of forced entry.
• Valuable items moved.
• The same person shows up at unconnected fires.
• A unidentifiable point of origin for the fire.
• Multiple points of origin.

What are the 3 types of arson?

Repetitive fire setting is broken down into three classifications. The classifications are: serial arson, spree arson and mass arson. Serial arson is as many as three fires set at different locations and each fire has a cooling off period between the sets.