Arson investigation underway in Dawson - WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

Arson investigation underway in Dawson

Posted: Updated:
Sunday night, Shaquille Minter awoke to a scary scene Sunday night, Shaquille Minter awoke to a scary scene

  • More WALB News10 HeadlinesMore News Headlines

  • Wednesday, June 19 2013 12:44 AM EDT2013-06-19 04:44:24 GMT
    Visitors paddling through south Georgia enjoyed a street party in their honor tonight.They gathered in downtown Camilla.Several hundred canoeists and kayakers are taking part in Paddle Georgia 2013. It's
    Visitors paddling through south Georgia enjoyed a street party in their honor tonight.They gathered in downtown Camilla.

  • Wednesday, June 19 2013 12:34 AM EDT2013-06-19 04:34:01 GMT
    Some central Albany eyesores are coming down to make way for what leaders hope will be a thriving mixed-income community.The Albany Housing Authority is still working on a plan that could bring up to 30-million
    Some central Albany eyesores are coming down to make way for what leaders hope will be a thriving mixed-income community.

  • Wednesday, June 19 2013 12:05 AM EDT2013-06-19 04:05:52 GMT
    Five months after the mysterious murder of a Coffee County woman, people gathered Tuesday night in Douglas to remember her and to launch a community effort to make sure her case isn't forgotten. Friends
    People gather to bring attention to one of many unsolved murders of women in Coffee County.
    •   
DAWSON, GA (WALB) -

Someone torched the house of a retired school teacher by setting fire to some magazines on her bed. All her belongings were destroyed and police are looking for who did it.   

Sunday night, Shaquille Minter awoke to a scary scene. "Fire was shooting out of it," she said.  "They couldn't get that stopped for nothing in the world."

Her neighbor and former teacher's home had gone up in flames. "The way the fire was shooting up in the air. It had a lot of people scared."

Scared that 66-year-old Mary Kinnel was trapped inside. "All of a sudden, it just caved down. We didn't know if she was in the house or not."

Thankfully, she was in Albany at the time of the fire. Her son drove her back home to face the devastating scene.

"She's very upset," said Minter. "She is still in shock. She doesn't know what to do."

Firefighters spent seven hours fighting the flames, They had to walk around live power before we could Georgia power to cut the power off.

But once the fire was put out, investigators noticed something suspicious.

"The bedroom wasn't burned, but on the bed was a big burn spot it turned out to be magazines burned on the bed," said Capt. Gene Shattles, Investigator.

A clue that firefighters weren't dealing with an accident, but arson.  "She lost everything she owned in this house fire. Vow we are trying to figure out who would want to set this fire and cause this much damage,"  said Shattles.

It's not the only arson they are dealing with. They are still searching for the person responsible for a fire at the old Terrell High School.

"Our concerns are that with that fire and this fire-- are they connected-- are they not connected? Do we have a serial arsonist on our hands?" asked Shattles. 

Police hope the public helps solve these two cases.  "Everything she's worked for through all her years as an educator all her pictures. Everything is all gone."

"For whoever did this you should be ashamed, that's how I feel," said Minter.

If you have information that leads to an arrest in either one of the cases, you could get up to $10,000 reward. Contact the Dawson Police Department.

 

Copyright 2012 WALB.  All rights reserved.