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Students say church arsons meant as ‘a joke’
NBC News ^ | March 8, 2006

Posted on 03/08/2006 11:03:17 AM PST by presidio9

Two college students arrested Wednesday in a string of nine rural Alabama church arsons told authorities that the first fires were set as “a joke” and later blazes were intended as a diversion, federal agents said.

A third college student was arrested later Wednesday in the serial arsons, according to WVTM-TV of Birmingham.

Benjamin Nathan Moseley and Russell Lee Debusk Jr., both students at Birmingham-Southern College, appeared in federal court Wednesday and were ordered held on church arson charges pending a hearing Friday.

Matthew Lee Cloyd, reportedly a student at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, was arrested midday, the WVTM reported.

An ATF affidavit said Moseley told agents on Wednesday that he, Cloyd and Debusk went to Bibb County in Cloyd’s Toyota sport utility vehicle on Feb. 2 and set fire to five churches. A witness quoted Cloyd as saying Moseley did it “as a joke and it got out of hand,” according to the affidavit.

Moseley also told agents the four church fires in west Alabama were set “as a diversion to throw investigators off,” an attempt that “obviously did not work,” the affidavit said.

Arson investigators scheduled an afternoon news conference at the Tuscaloosa airport to discuss the arrests.

The first two suspects were arrested Tuesday night, NBC’s Pete Williams reported.

WVTM-TV, citing the state fire marshal’s office, said the two are students at Birmingham Southern College and were arrested at a college dorm.

The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the Alabama church arson case a top priority as scores of agents joined state and local law officers in the probe.

Authorities analyzed tire tracks and traced the purchase of the tires to

-snip-

A federal source said the apparent motive was that the three students just liked to set and watch fires.

(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Front Page News; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; US: Alabama
KEYWORDS: afewbadapples; arson; atf; bendover; benjaminmoseley; churchburning; cloyd; debusk; fbi; hamuslimsdidntdoit; jailtime; joke; jokes; matthew; matthewcloyd; moseley; nojoke; nojokenow; pete; petewilliams; realfunny; russelldebusk; tomfoolery; whatnoterrorism; williams; yutesgonebad
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1 posted on 03/08/2006 11:03:20 AM PST by presidio9
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To: presidio9
Ha! Some joke.

were ordered held on church arson charges

Is that distinct from ordinary arson?

2 posted on 03/08/2006 11:05:16 AM PST by Izzy Dunne (Hello, I'm a TAGLINE virus. Please help me spread by copying me into YOUR tag line.)
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To: presidio9

Arson a joke? For college students? They need educating on their "sense of humor."


3 posted on 03/08/2006 11:05:30 AM PST by newzjunkey (All I need is a safe home and peace of mind. Why am I still in CA?)
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To: presidio9

What's funny about setting fire to five buildings? Either these kids are complete morons, or there's more to this than they're lettin' on (or both).


4 posted on 03/08/2006 11:05:32 AM PST by LIConFem (A fronte praecipitium, a tergo lupi.)
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To: presidio9

After about 50 years in prison, it's gonna be hillarious.


5 posted on 03/08/2006 11:05:44 AM PST by cripplecreek (Never a minigun handy when you need one.)
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To: presidio9

Joke? I think not. These kids were up to more than laughs. Maybe a thrill, but look deeper in to their backgrounds. Could be even more.


6 posted on 03/08/2006 11:06:24 AM PST by oyez (Appeasement is insanity)
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To: presidio9

College students. I'm sure their parents are proud.


7 posted on 03/08/2006 11:06:27 AM PST by mlc9852
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To: presidio9
Church fires as a joke?

Holy smokes!

8 posted on 03/08/2006 11:06:52 AM PST by N. Theknow (Kennedys - Can't drive, can't fly, can't ski, can't skipper a boat - But they know what's best.)
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To: presidio9
Why do I think there's an angle to this story that we'll probably not see in the MSM and if we do it will only be briefly. I'm referring to a leftist inspired act.
9 posted on 03/08/2006 11:08:42 AM PST by Hillarys Gate Cult (The man who said "there's no such thing as a stupid question" has never talked to Helen Thomas.)
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To: Izzy Dunne

It opens them up to possible "hate" crimes as well.


10 posted on 03/08/2006 11:08:44 AM PST by theDentist (Qwerty ergo typo : I type, therefore I misspelll.)
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To: newzjunkey
"Arson a joke? For college students? They need educating on their "sense of humor.""

Where they are going the education they will get will be far from "Funny"

11 posted on 03/08/2006 11:08:50 AM PST by Abathar (Proudly catching hell for posting without reading since 2004)
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To: newzjunkey
Arson a joke? For college students?

Drunk pyromaniacs.

I've seen stupid, but torching a church, thats stupid.

12 posted on 03/08/2006 11:08:56 AM PST by Sonny M ("oderint dum metuant")
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To: Izzy Dunne
Could be. The Feds didn't get involved just for fun. There might be some "civil rights era" reactive law which distinguishes between mere arson and torching of a church by arson.

I know Clinton's stories of numerous church arsons in his childhood were bogus but there is a stigma over church arsons especially in the South.

13 posted on 03/08/2006 11:09:03 AM PST by newzjunkey (All I need is a safe home and peace of mind. Why am I still in CA?)
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To: cripplecreek

They are going to be a real hit at the state pen.


14 posted on 03/08/2006 11:10:00 AM PST by oyez (Appeasement is insanity)
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To: newzjunkey

Wasn't Condoleeza Rice's church burned when she was a child?


15 posted on 03/08/2006 11:10:30 AM PST by presidio9 ("Bird Flu" is the new Y2K Virus -Only without the inconvenient deadline.)
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To: Izzy Dunne

When I heard they were letting retards into college, I didn't believe it. This story appears to be proof of it, however. Hang 'em high.


16 posted on 03/08/2006 11:11:14 AM PST by Lady Jag ( All I want is a kind word, a warm bed, and world domination)
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To: presidio9
Ha ha. Funny. Here's another "joke" for you jokers:

Sic semper arsonists.

Don't think that is funny enough? Then try this...PLEASE! Fulfill my desire, and do us all a favor.


17 posted on 03/08/2006 11:12:11 AM PST by ApplegateRanch (Islam: a Satanically Transmitted Disease, spread by unprotected intimate contact with the Koranus.)
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To: mlc9852
College students. I'm sure their parents are proud.

Look like the're going to have to finish their degrees via correspondence courses. At least their parents will save on dorm fees. ;~((

18 posted on 03/08/2006 11:12:37 AM PST by Ditto
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To: presidio9
A joke. Uh-huh.

I guess they would find it hysterically funny if someone set fire to their parents house.

19 posted on 03/08/2006 11:13:53 AM PST by jess35
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To: presidio9

I am so glad these guys were over 18. Their next jokes will be performed in the State Dept. of Corrections. They can be tough comedy critics. ;o)


20 posted on 03/08/2006 11:14:42 AM PST by Liberty Valance (Keep a simple manner for a happy life :o)
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