The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 08, 2006, Image 6
Four more Alabama churches burned
following week of blazes ruled arson
Jay Reeves
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BOLIGEE, Ala. — Fires
damaged or destroyed four
more Baptist churches across
the Alabama countryside
Tuesday, less than a week
after a string of five blazes
that were ruled arson.
Church member Johnny
Archibald said smoke was
pouring from Morning Star
Baptist in Boligee when he
arrived around daybreak.
“They, had kicked the
door in,” he said. “Evidently
they had set the pulpit on
fire and went out the front
door.”
Tuesday’s fires took place
at churches off rural roads,
about 10 to 20 miles apart.
They were in a cluster of
three counties, about 60
miles from the Bibb County
area where the five other
churches were burned early
Friday.
FBI acting assistant
director Chip Burrus said
investigators were working
on the assumption that the
nine fires are linked.
Authorities have no
suspects or motive, Burrus
said in an interview with
The Associated Press in
Washington, D.C.
Rich Marianos, . a
spokesman for the federal
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms
and Explosives agency,
said more than 50 agents
are now assigned to the
investigation in Alabama.
“This is our No. 1
priority nationally,” he said.
The fire that damaged
Dancy First Baptist Church
early Tuesday in Pickens
County appeared to be
arson, said Sheriff David
Abston. He said volunteer
firefighters responded to a
burglar alarm that went off
at 5:13 a.m.
Ragan Ingram, a
spokesman for the state
insurance agency that
oversees fire investigations,
said investigators were
pursuing several leads in last
week’s fires, but “the leads
haven’t led us to a specific
suspect or a motive.”
Investigators got tire
impressions from the mud
of a dirt road in Sumter
County near Galilee
Baptist, one of the churches
destroyed Tuesday.
Morning Star Baptist
was burned down to its
foundation Tuesday, leaving
only the front steps and
handrail still standing.
Another church was
destroyed, and the other
two were damaged. In the
Bibb County fires, three
churches were destroyed
and two damaged.
Ingram said there have
been 59 church fires in
Alabama in the past five
years, including the nine
reported in the past four
days, and 19 were ruled
arsons.
The FBI said it is looking
into whether the Bibb
County fires were civil
rights violations under laws
covering attacks on religious
property. State and federal
rewards totaling $10,000
have been offered.
The nine churches that
burned included both white
and black congregations.
Steve Barnette / The Assocaited Press
An agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Fire
arms investigates the remains of the Morning Star Baptist
church Tuesday near Boligee, Ala., after a fire destroyed
the structure earlier that morning.
GMAT I GRE I LSAT I MCAT I DAT I OAT I PCAT
Take a FREE practice test at this event and you'll receive a detailed
score analysis and exclusive strategies to help you prepare for Test Day!
February 25th l Oam
I
Humanities Classroom Building
HSC Campus
(far test* »tH hr uttered:
IMTsOMAT. «i«K. Mt AT. DAT. fCAT
EN ROLL Limited seats are available. Cali 1-800-KAP-TEST
TODAY or visit kaptest.com/practice.
•"Seal tvetawi 0m t*ggM«»8ES batten**-** ei i»xtxx:tKe «•«***. S?HJAC0O3
GETS THE ADRENALINE GOING.
* YOURS AND WHOEVER READS ABOUT
^IT ON YOUR RESUME.
Check out our PAID SUMMER LEADERSHIP INTERNSHIP and Officer Career Opportunities.
Contact USC Army ROTC at 803-777-6542 or ousey@gwm.sc.edu
■
It mi I! h
mM\I'J-j F*» JHJJT'H
lip”
I
■■MMiMaiAMuaHW
Lkk
I—— -—-—-|—m—| t ■ ' ■ ml