Buzzstuff: Arson - the gift that keeps on giving

December 28, 2004

Arson - the gift that keeps on giving

I guess sometimes the holiday season actually IS about the receiving. Seriously, how pathetic is this guy? And so close to home, too. Shameful.

FEASTERVILLE, Pa. (AP) - A man angry that he got no presents for Christmas burned down his parents' house early the next morning, police said.

Steven Murray, 21, was charged with arson and risking a catastrophe in the blaze that broke out early Sunday. No one was injured.

Police said Murray had himself committed to a hospital on Christmas Day, but then signed himself out and walked eight miles home. Later he told police he saw the flames in the distance.

But officers said his jacket smelled of smoke and they found a lighter in his pocket and a gas can near the front door.

"He was irritated that his family gave him no presents for Christmas," Lower Southampton police officer Peter Liese said.

Murray was jailed on $1 million bail. It was not immediately known whether he had a lawyer.

Posted by Buzz at December 28, 2004 04:29 PM

Comments

What a world. And to think this happened about a mile from my house.

Posted by: MIKE at December 28, 2004 04:36 PM

Uhm yeah. Sheesh I wonder what would have happened if he had gotten a lump of coal?

Posted by: Lauren at December 28, 2004 05:00 PM

Well- I'm certainly glad not to know that guy.

Posted by: cassie-b at December 28, 2004 07:20 PM

Gerry was one of the oficers on that call.

Posted by: kathy at December 28, 2004 08:46 PM

Yikes! I hate to see what he does when he loses at Monopoly.

Posted by: Nicole at December 28, 2004 09:25 PM

It sounds like he was in the best place possible, and was allowed to leave. How sad.

Posted by: Jenny at December 28, 2004 11:12 PM

I heard that his parents were gonna remortgage their house to post his bail ... oh, wait ...

Posted by: Tig at December 28, 2004 11:34 PM

Whoa. That's just wrong.

Posted by: karmajenn at December 29, 2004 08:48 AM

Seems like they had a pretty good reason not to provide him with any presents, huh? It *IS* a shame he was allowed to sign himself out, though.

Posted by: keith at December 29, 2004 09:27 AM

Hmmm, wonder why he didn't get any presents, eh? I'm sure my three year old wanted to do something similar when I took away all of his christmas presents yesterday...but he learned his lesson and got them back.

21 years old, its a little late for that. They should have kept him for evaluation at that hospital. I thought they normally would do that for 24 hours.

Posted by: Ammie at December 29, 2004 03:56 PM

The million-dollar question is:

Will he get presents next year?!???!?

Posted by: ironic1 at December 29, 2004 07:26 PM

And the DARWIN AWARD goes to...

Posted by: Kevin at December 30, 2004 09:36 AM

Mental illness is such a horrible thing.

Posted by: Radmila at December 30, 2004 05:17 PM

Glad the big red guy cam good for my kids this year...

Posted by: DaFFy at December 30, 2004 10:12 PM