City Marion Apartments Fire Ruled Arson, May Have Been Set By Last Remaining Tenant
posted by on October 28 at 12:33 PM
Seattle Fire Department investigators have determined that the blaze which killed 89-year-old Ed Jackson and injured one firefighter was intentionally set.
However, SPD is not investigating the case as a homicide.
As Dominic reported yesterday, Jackson—the former manager of the building—had ignored two orders from the Marion’s owner to vacate his first floor unit and was the last remaining tenant in the building, which had been scheduled for demolition.
Capitol Hill Seattle is reporting that a gun was found at the scene of the fire. SPD would not confirm, but it doesn’t appear that Jackson was the victim of foul play.
UPDATE: According to a source familiar with the investigation, Jackson was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
UPDATE 2: King County Medical Examiner confirms it was suicide.
Harry Truman, Doris Day, Red China, Johnnie Ray, South Pacific, Walter Winchell, Joe DiMaggio!!!
Wow. Didn't see that coming a mile away.
Sounds as if the old guy just couldn't bring himself to move out so he decided to try and take it with him.
WE DIDNT START THE FIRE!
Looks like it was either arson-suicide or a fatally botched arson. I guess it hinges on the forensics. Did the guy shoot himself, or did he just have the gun to try and defend his squat?
First I've seen with a renter recently. In the glorious world of the homeowner, it's been going around...
"A series of financial setbacks left Wanda Dunn facing eviction from the house in Pasadena where her family had lived for generations.
Dunn, 53, told neighbors that she would rather die than leave.
Early Monday, the day of her expected eviction, firefighters pulled her body out of the house as it burned. She apparently had set it on fire before shooting herself in the head, authorities said.
"We knew it was going to happen," said Steve Brooks, who lived across the street. "It was nobody's fault; it was everybody's fault."
[...]
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-deadwoman15-2008oct15,0,7392943.story?track=rss
And around...
"Last week in Tennessee, Pamela Ross shot herself as sheriff's deputies came to evict her from her home.
In Massachusetts, Carlene Balderrama shot herself to death and left a note for the mortgage company warning: "By the time you foreclose on my home, I'll be dead."
In the San Fernando Valley, Karthik Rajaram left a note saying that he killed his family and committed suicide because of his financial troubles."
http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_10722041
This particular guy seemed to have had a very bad case of Obsessive Compulsive disorder - apparently he couldn't throw anything away.
I feel sorry for the poor guy - his demons prefered death before change.
Clearly this is just what the real arsonist wanted you all to think.
Injured a firefighter and put the lives and property of dozens of others at risk. The world is a better place without that asshole.
Paranoid Delusional Elenchos
The guy moved into that place in 1968 - longer than most of you hipsters have been alive. All he had, his entire world, his life, his complete existence, was in that apartment. Can you relate to that at all? What must it have been like to be 89 years old and have your entire world threatened? Because that's what it must have felt like for him -- no matter what actual options he had, he must have felt as if he had none.
I mean, yeah, go ahead and build some shiny new condos there, highest and best use and all that, sure -- but can we at least spare just an eyelash's worth of compassion for an old guy who must have been suffering in ways we can't even imagine .... huh? Maybe?
Mr. Ave, news just hit that the man was found with a "self-inflicted" gunshot wound to the head. I suppose you have some easy explanation for a faked suicide AND an arson happening at virtually the same moment, at the same place? Does a coincidence like that not raise the slightest suspicion? Everyone knew this guy was the perfect mark for such a set up.
The gullibility of kids today is astounding.
Dude, seriously, get on the medications for your paranoid delusions. Everything isn't an episode of Mike Hammer.
And I think it's about time someone called you out on either being an internet crank or being paranoid delusional. I mean, theres plenty of evidence there to support it and what you spout makes you the perfect candidate for such a condition.
I take it by your response you have no explanation for who faked the suicide, and so you want to change the subject.
Be my guest, if you wish to call me names instead. Call me whatever name you like, all day long if that's all you can do. It says a lot more about you than it does about me.
BA, you can't reason with a crazy person. That is kind of the main issue with craziness.
elenchos, calling you names based on your paranoid thoughts has more basis than you claiming this to be a murder. wheres your evidence? you're obviously trying to turn this around by claiming that since i can't disprove it was a murder, it obviously was a murder. Look, I'm going based on everything we have as a fact and everything that I think can be connected simply and reasonably. You're the one who doesn't have any evidence, any backing of this crazy paranoid theory he was murdered. Unless you think the coroner is in the tank with the murderer or the murderer IS THAT FUCKING GOOD AT FRAMING SUICIDES!
it says a lot about you when you push your paranoid delusions as being fact and claim those that don't believe them are gullible.
heres the explanation; he starts the fire, shoots himself in the head. you might want to try it out to see if it's possible.
Mr. Ave, why are you so angry all the time?
Answer me this simple question. Who has the kind of resources to pull off a fake suicide so perfect it fools even the King County Medical Examiner? Answer that one and you'll know who did this -- and who started that fire.
Elenchos, Bellevue Ave, please shut the fuck up.
Thanks,
Jonah.
theres no one that could have pulled it off because the far simpler and more reasonable explanation is that he was a depressed 89 year old man at the end of his rope. and theres actual evidence to support that version of events to your baseless theory.
wheres your evidence marion apartment truther? Unless you're going name names, you're totally full of shit. You can't hide behind ambiguity to cover your increasingly unstable mental state.
You shut up, Jonah. Elenchos, Bellevue ave--continue.
remember free speech - Jonah - and elenchos is weird quite often on Slog
drinking too much? snorting bad stuff?
just likes his world of suspicions, I guess
Oh, this story just breaks my heart. He had no control over his situation (being evicted from his home of 40 years), so he took what control he could. In an odd way, it makes me think 'Good for him'.
"Good for him" would have been fine had he shot himself without first setting fire to the building.
23: Freedom of speech only applies to federal application.
Read: you can ALL shut the fuck up.
None of you want the truth. You can't handle the truth! Fine.
now you can all start making jokes.
elenchos' joke is the funniest one here.
Bill and Hillary Clinton! Do they have no shame?
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