Deadly arson said to be random: Defendant in city fires had no apparent motive; investigators cite old-fashioned sleuthing
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NORTHAMPTON - A cigarette lighter was all it took for Anthony P. Baye to set fire to multiple vehicles and homes in just more than an hour, investigators say.
Described by authorities as "a random spree," the Dec. 27 blazes took two lives, caused millions of dollars worth of property damage and dealt a blow to residents' sense of safety.
Baye, 25, of 85 Hawley St., was arrested Monday night, after police say he confessed to setting a fire at 17 Fair St. that took the lives of a father and son.
In court the next morning, Baye denied murder and other charges relating to that blaze. He is being held without bail pending a court hearing in March.
None of the charges filed Tuesday relates to the 14 other fires investigators believe Baye set the same night. But Northwestern District Attorney Elizabeth Scheibel said additional charges are likely.
Reached by phone after the arraignment, Baye's court-appointed lawyer, Alan Rubin, said he would not discuss the case.
"I just have no comment to make," he said.
"We're very confident we have the right person," Scheibel said at a press conference Tuesday afternoon. "Residents can rest easier, but we should all continue to be vigilant."
She and other officials Tuesday urged residents to take steps to prevent crimes of opportunity - which the Dec. 27 arson fires appear to be - by keeping their porches clear of combustible materials.
Making the case
It was a mix of old-fashioned sleuthing and tips from the public that led to Baye's arrest Monday, authorities said.
Scheibel said investigators received nearly 300 tips from the community via telephone and text message hotlines.
"This is a textbook case of how arson should be investigated," said state Fire Marshal Stephen Coan, saying the numerous local, state and federal agencies involved in the case shared information well.
"I'm unbelievably proud of our people," said Northampton Police Chief Russell Sienkiewicz. "There was an incredible amount of teamwork and very, very good, basic police work that got us to this point in the case."
Gov. Deval Patrick praised the arson task force in a statement.
"It is my hope that this will bring some much-needed peace of mind to the good people of Northampton," Patrick said. "We continue to stand with them as they recover and rebuild."
Nationally, Coan said, only 11 percent of serial arson cases are solved.
"We came together and over the course of a week we were able to accomplish what many investigators around the country have not been able to do," said Lt. Col. Frank Matthews of the state police.
"Hopefully the city of Northampton and the Yeskie family can have some sense of relief," said special agent in charge Andy Anderson of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, which participated in the investigation.
Potential sentence
Baye faces life in state prison without parole if convicted on the murder charges. Armed burglary carries a potential life sentence, with a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years in prison. The maximum sentence for arson is 20 years in prison.
In Northampton District Court Tuesday morning, Rubin entered innocent pleas on Baye's behalf. Baye is due back in court March 5 for a probable cause hearing.
--See the criminal complaint detailing the charges against Anthony Baye
Rubin, of the Committee for Public Counsel Services, spoke in court only to say he did not oppose Cahillane's bid to have Baye held without bail.
Each of the charges against Baye is a felony, meaning Baye's case will likely move up to Superior Court in the near future. Before that can happen, a grand jury must review the evidence against Baye and hand up indictments.
Scheibel said she anticipates her office will present evidence to the grand jury soon about Baye's involvement in the Fair Street fire and other Dec. 27 blazes.
Fair Street fire
According to Scheibel and court documents, the fire that killed Fair Street residents Paul W. Yeskie Sr. and Paul W. Yeskie Jr. originated in the family's front porch. Scheibel said investigators believe Baye used his lighter to ignite "household items" stored on the porch. She wouldn't say specify what those items were.
There was no sign of an accelerant, like gasoline, at the Yeskies' home or at any of the other fire sites, Scheibel said.
A report by Detective Craig Kirouac, included in court files, states that the fire spread from the Yeskies' porch into the dwelling area, causing the front portion of the house to collapse.
The father and son, ages 81 and 39, were found dead in their home's first-floor rear bathroom, Kirouac wrote. Scheibel's office said previously the state medical examiner's office ruled the cause of death for each man was the same: asphyxia due to smoke inhalation with thermal injuries.
Elaine Yeskie, the wife and mother of the victims, and a woman identified only as her "elderly friend," made it out of the house safely. Elaine Yeskie, accompanied by three other people, attended Tuesday's arraignment session.
Area of fires
A total of 15 fires were set between 2 and 3:15 a.m. Dec. 27, according to Scheibel. They occurred in a rough semicircle, each about a half-mile outside the city center, stretching from Henry Street to Northern Avenue to Franklin Street.
"It is the collective opinion of the assigned fire investigators that each of the fires was incendiary in nature and each fire was related," Assistant Northwestern District Attorney Michael Cahillane said at Baye's arraignment. He was reading from Kirouac's report.
At her press conference, Scheibel refused to say how Baye may have gotten from one fire site to the other in the space of about 75 minutes.
Kirouac's report indicates Baye may have driven. The detective's report outlines two other officers' interactions with Baye in a neighborhood off Elm Street just minutes after the last fires were set:
About 3:25 a.m., Baye was stopped while driving "in the Crescent Street area" by state Trooper David Paul.
Paul reported that Baye appeared to be wet - it was raining that night - and smelled of alcohol. Baye told Paul he was on his way from a friend's house to his girlfriend's house nearby. The trooper told Baye to go there and not to drive for the rest of the night.
At 3:32 a.m., Baye was stopped again, this time on Bancroft Road, by Northampton Police Detective Corey Robinson. The detective also reported that Baye's clothing was "extremely wet" and that he "showed signs of alcohol consumption." He again said he was on his way to his girlfriend's house.
Baye "indicated, by pointing" that his girlfriend lived at a Bancroft Street home. But when Robinson asked Baye to contact his girlfriend by phone or in person, he said he couldn't.
Kirouac's report indicates Robinson later discovered Baye had a cigarette lighter in his pants pocket, although it is unclear if Robinson searched Baye or simply asked him to empty his pockets.
Baye went on to provide police with a written statement "detailing an alibi that investigators later determined to be false," Kirouac wrote.
The detective's report indicates members of the Northampton Arson Task Force conducted two subsequent interviews with Baye, in which he admitted to setting the Fair Street fire and to lying to investigators when they approached him on the morning of the fires.
"He described the area of origin of the Fair Street fire as within the enclosed front screen porch and indicated he was present at 17 Fair Street on Dec. 27 and lit a small fire within the enclosed front porch," Kirouac's report concludes.
Nature of 'armed burglary'
The charges against Baye include two counts of murder and single counts of arson and armed burglary.
Scheibel said the armed burglary charge relates to Baye allegedly entering the Yeskies' enclosed porch, which was unlocked, with the lighter. No theft was involved, she said.
James F. Lowe can be reached at jlowe@gazettenet.com.
Comments
"Million of dollars worth of
"Million of dollars worth of property damage" ????
Never mind the property
Never mind the property damage, TWO PEOPLE DIED! But, if you insist, just do a little math. In fact, basic addition. Add up the property values, cars, valuables, and you will come pretty close.