Investigators testify in Ellendale arson trial
By Sarah Stultz, Albert Lea Tribune, Minn. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
The testimony, given in the jury trial for
One investigation was conducted by
The fire that destroyed the house, at
Firefighters were initially called to the house at
After extinguishing a small fire they found in the kitchen, firefighters removed the stove and microwave, ventilated the house and left at about
Duncan said the damage that came from the second fire could not have happened in the time frame it did if it were accidental. Both men said the two fires were unrelated.
The second fire began near the floor of the back wall of a closet that shared a wall with the kitchen. They said it could not have been a rekindling of the first fire because there was minimal damage in the kitchen.
Both Stewart and Duncan said they classified the fire as fast-moving and studied the potential use of an accelerant.
Thought they did not find traces of one in separate tests of evidence, they said that accelerants are sometimes hard to detect.
Stewart said alcohol-based products, specifically, are difficult to detect.
"It usually totally consumes itself, " he said. He did not know what material initially ignited to start the fire.
Duncan said if an accelerant such as alcohol was used that traces of that substance could be gone within 15 minutes if burning near the origin of the fire. He noted other more common materials such as newspaper and cardboard can be used as accelerants.
For the fire to have started, someone would have needed to light it with a match or lighter. Misgen's trial will continue Monday and possibly into Tuesday, according to
Prison inmate
Misgen reportedly talked to Johnson in 2007 about how he was having financial difficulties and needed to make some quick cash. Johnson alleged Misgen asked him if he knew anything about insurance fraud and fires, according to court records.
Misgen's wife,
Degen-Misgen on Monday pleaded guilty to issuing a dishonored check in exchange for dismissing her two charges tied to the arson case.
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