I have no idea.'" When at last he was arrested in 2005, he confessed to over 340 arson-set fires that claimed the lives of 4 people. "With the cooperation of the owner of the two Circle 7 stores, agents affixed thumbnail-size stainless steel chips to the bottom of every bag in both stores. The narrow opening at the top of a jug allowed only so many vapors to escape at a time. Even though the cloth from the slacks had been burned and charred, the technician was able to extract a trace amount of DNA that, for some reason, never succumbed to the heat.The DNA from the apartment fire matched the DNA taken from the attempted fire at the boys' house on Anacostia Avenue in D.C. At the task force headquarters there was a brief spell of euphoria. Thomas Sweatt - Wikipedia Sweatt had boarded in cheap rooms all over town before he settled there in 1992. Thomas Sweatt, 50, a fast food store manager from the District . The real world may have dismissed Sweatt as a soldier, but in his mind he made himself one.I always wanted to wear a military uniform, he wrote.In his time off from KFC, he would drive out of the city to military recruiter stations. Fulkerson, now in charge of the ATF office in Richmond, said his most difficult task was telling the four siblings who had escaped the blaze at Quincy Place that the flames that killed their parents, Bessie Mae Duncan and Roy R. Picott, were apparently started by Sweatt and not by a discarded cigarette, as the D.C. fire department had initially determined. I wasn't a "Thug" but was attracted to street life. Weve covered everything thrown at us this past year and will continue to do so with your support. The two girls emerged from the back of the house, each badly burned. If he followed the story of Evarts Street, then he knew that he'd killed somebody yet continued setting fires anyway. Fulkerson said he told the investigators at the seminar, You may have a serial arsonist in your jurisdiction and you dont know it yet. The ATF agent said he tells other investigators that suspects like Sweatt can be coaxed out of silence through feigned admiration. Thomas G Sweatt (1840 - 1928) - Genealogy - geni family tree His attorney at the time he pleaded guilty said in court that his clients mental illness meant he did not have a choice in setting the fires, that he was laboring under a psychological compulsion., Sweatt, who later spoke with the media about the case, gave only brief remarks at his sentencing hearing. The man looked to be in his 30s and attractive. it looks the very same front + back -- the fire was set at the back on the second level. Considering how long he got away with setting so many treacherous fires, investigators would come to place Sweatt among the most prolific and dangerous arsonists in American memory. [4], Last edited on 16 November 2022, at 13:11, "Letters From an Arsonist: Thomas Sweatt", "Suspect Formally Charged in Two Arson Deaths", "Why Thomas Sweatt Set Washington on Fire Thomas Sweatt torched hundreds of houses and cars in the nation's capitol to satisfy his sexual fetishes and power fantasies. Thomas A Sweatt (1928 - 1995) - York, SC In exchange for his full accounting, Sweatt agreed to be imprisoned for life plus 136 years on a selected number of offenses he admitted to in court. Thomas Sweatt's Instagram, Twitter & Facebook on IDCrawl The man spoke as he passed, and Sweatt nodded hello back to him. He admitted to killing not only Lou Edna Jones but another elderly woman named Annie Brown, 89, who'd died of smoke inhalation in a February 2002 fire in Northeast. A new book looks at Washington's most notorious arsonist. - The The restaurant sat along a busy yet particularly dreary stretch of highway, where there were plenty of gas stations but no semblance of a neighborhood. Right? Or was it the guilt of a young man, then just 30, who had to know he'd cause more heartache before the fires stopped? "He'd been living this separate life for 30 years. Thomas was born in Muncie, Indiana to the proud parents of Otha Sweatt and Kathleen Porter (Holcomb), as weapons -- I use fire as a source of weapon -- Not afraid of fire at all; for it is my friend and I miss it. (Investigators have confirmed assigning agents at that location. The flames grew intense, and the firefighters were ordered to leave. Or maybe he just never forgot the D.C. officers who mocked his soft voice when he took their orders at KFC.Whatever it was that he loved and despised in cops, he saw it in their squad cars. The fires had a number of features in common: The homes were mostly detached and single-family; the fires were set on porches or near doorways; and they were set in the early morning hours.Forensic tests at an ATF lab determined that each fire was set with the same kind of device: some sort of plastic jug, perhaps a milk or juice container, that had been filled with gasoline and carried to the scene inside a plastic bag. Sweatt was obsessed with the Marines, both as self-identification and as part of a sexual fascination with men in uniform. It was one of those moments that reminded Sweatt how oppressive wintertime in the city could be.On the sidewalk, he spotted a stranger walking in the opposite direction. Thomas "Williambilly" Sweatt Sr. Obituary (2019) | Simpsonville, South Then on Valentine's Day, he lit one of his devices on the stairwell of an apartment building on Blair Road just over the District line in Montgomery County, where investigators had never followed him. In 2005, Thomas A. Sweatt admitted in court to setting 45 fires across the Washington region, claiming two lives. Instead, it'd make me want to go out and do evil stuff like setting something afireOn days off from work he would read do-it-yourself books. As Fulkerson staked him out at the KFC one day, he watched from his unmarked car as Sweatt walked outside the restaurant, got down on his knees, and started scraping stale gum from the cracks in the sidewalk.After not seeing any activity that would tie Sweatt to the fires, Fulkerson and a D.C. detective walked into the KFC to interview him. The official fire report at the time mistakenly blamed a dropped cigarette for the reason the fire started. Burial locations has been graciously donated by Norma Baugh, Chesterfield Co, SC Historian. . . Instead I wanted to play house out in the woods making straw houses, pretending to be the lady next door and dare my brothers to enter my house without knocking!! "Thomas Sweatt: Inside the Mind of D.C.'s Most Notorious Arsonist" i. s also available in # ebook format. Once it did, the fire would reach the wood or aluminum siding. SE. thomas sweatt birthday - helozzsoap.com A 50-year-old man was sentenced to life in prison on Monday for setting a series of fires that killed two elderly women and terrorized the Washington area for more than two years. ***God has been merciful and kind -- I want to obey and keep His will. Some people use guns, knives, etc. So from 1993-2005) I was promoted from Cook to allstar, to Shif Supervisor, Assistant Manger, Unit manager. thomas sweatt birthday Ive been to thousands of fires, but theres some that just stand out in your mind. As the last ones walked out, Maggiolo said, the cornice collapsed, engulfing them in dust and debris. "It came about by slamming your head against the wall wondering what the hell do we do next. "Sweatt answered with a question of his own: "Why would I set those beautiful homes on fire when I'm trying to become a homeowner myself? He was known as one of the better KFC cooks in the metro area.That fact didn't impress many people, but it meant a lot to Sweatt. The man, Thomas . Thomas A. Sweatt is a convicted serial arsonist. In 2003, the Washington, DC area experienced 14 suspiciously similar incendiary house fires. But that same night I went cruising up Geogia Ave and picked up this young guy named Tyrone.We became best of friends until I became obsessed with him which drove me to set his house afire (actually his aunts house on Peabody + 3rd -- She was slightly injured and the house was damaged just the basement where he lived. For 25 years, serial arsonist Thomas Sweatt terrorized neighborhoods throughout the Washington. (Rodney knew this as well as Sweatt did, since he visited the vacant house whenever he was in D.C.) And there was another detail that Sweatt offered independent of the Post report -- the funeral for Bessie Mae Duncan, which Sweatt claimed was at McGuire Funeral Service on Georgia Avenue, near the Maryland line. "Fulkerson asked Sweatt to submit to a DNA test, and he agreed.When Sweatt went home he destroyed his diary of fires. Some homes were rowhouses, others were detached; most bore aluminum siding, but others were brick; a few were large apartment buildings, others single-family. The sexier the car, the better for his fantasy.It was a 2004 Mustang (white) 5.0 that had been on the list of cars to burn for a long time. !When he sought companionship he cruised the city's gay underbelly near the Navy Yard clubs or along the Georgia Avenue NW corridor. When local drunks or homeless offered to pitch in, Sweatt would gladly accept the offer and reward them with a drink or a cigarette.He was proud of his flair for interior design. As with most sociopaths, he likes to brag: An investigator recalls D.C.s deadly serial arsonist, Kyle Kuzma, Wizards start fast and dont look back in win over Raptors, Nationals relievers see benefit in tinkering with new pitches, Roger Goodell, Muriel Bowser discussed future of RFK site in December call. Agents did everything they could to enhance the video, even sending it off to NASA, but the license plate and make of the car were hopelessly grainy. Subject: Thomas Sweatt (Serial arsonist) Wed Apr 01, 2015 10:01 pm: Thomas A. Sweatt is a convicted serial arsonist, who was possibly the most prolific arsonist in Bio - Tracking Thomas Sweatt : Author Robert M. Luckett [1], On Thursday, August 4, 2005, two fatal arson cases in the District of Columbia were closed with the arrest of 50-year-old Thomas Sweatt of the 500 blocks in Lebaum Street SE. The victims didn't know one another.The package I sent included photos of a two-story wood-paneled house on Randolph Street NE; a two-story brick rental on North Capitol Street NW, where Sweatt had set fire to the rear porch; a one-story white house with a brick-and-aluminum exterior on 30th Street NE; and a white house on Otis Street NE with aluminum siding and a front porch.There was, in fact, a method to his choosing, albeit one as odd and idiosyncratic as Sweatt himself.I'll give my thoughts briefly about the ones you sent.First, 2505 Randolph St NE. Sweatt admitted to setting that fire and killing Bessie Mae Duncan in a letter to me late last year. Self - Suspect. (In 1984, he was arrested for stealing some $2,500 in jewelry out of the home of a man he'd picked up at a party, according to court records. Just like this house none of the fires were easy. I sat there a long time trying to get my nerves together because this was a huge house and wasn't quiet sure it would burn. Thomas Sweatt Lieutenant (Retired), New Jersey State Police Lewes, Delaware, United States. The Arrest and Adjudication. (The Jones family never learned why the arsonist chose their home.) The News of Zion Tracking Thomas Sweatt : Author Robert M. Luckett - An inside look at "It was his time to finally be honest with himself and recognize who he was," says Fulkerson. I look for answers to many questions but only left with more question marks. Why? Fulkerson remembers asking himself. Thomas Jefferson Sweatt (1842-1913) FamilySearch There's still hope for us all no matter where we are -- This old mortal body will soon be no more but the soul will go to heaven or hail. As the manhunt unfolded he felt the excitement of seeing his story on television every week. He was linked to the fires through DNA evidence found at two scenes where a fingerprint, some skin cells on a wick and a single hair all matched his genetic profile. In his letters to me from prison, Sweatt often would ask how "Scott" and "Bob" were doing, expressing nothing but respect and gratitude toward the investigators who had put him away.Sweatt signed a secret guilty plea within two weeks of his arrest. When the nearby school let out in the afternoon the kids would pile through the door and tear the place up, complicating things by ordering pizzas (it was a KFCnPizza Hut hybrid). One October morning in 2003, someone called 911 to report a fire on the front porch of a home on Otis Street NE. He also learned the name of the deceased: Bessie Mae Duncan.Sweatt was saddened to learn of Duncan's death, but in his mind she was simply the collateral damage he had to incur in service to his fantasies. Fire deaths ruled accidental 33 years ago now ruled homicides. Gulzar Singh, the owner of the liquor store, Syd's Drive-In, says he often arrived to work only to find the smoldering carcasses of automobiles in his parking lot. Apparently adjusted to his new confines, he signed it, Inmate "Tom," #38792037.Sweatt and I went on to trade letters for more than a year, often on a daily basis. )I liked the attention from setting fires; the Blue + red lights flashing from the firetrucks + police cars, the rushing of firefighters hooking up the hoses to put out the flames and people gathered to watch.They were in arms length to arrest me. For 25 years, serial arsonist Thomas Sweatt terrorized neighborhoods throughout the Washington D.C. metropolitan area. that tend to call the most famous people YouTube stars or Reality TV stars, we've decided to mark fame as a persons importance in history. Firefighters were inside the burning rowhouse searching for Duncan, who was trapped. In the footage, a firetruck raced to the burning home; facing the other way was someone in a stopped car, flashing his lights at the oncoming engine. One was that of a churchgoing working man who performed random works of charity and bid good afternoon to the neighbors. He wanted to meet him.He tailed the stranger beneath the train overpass, over New York Avenue and North Capitol Street, and up to a brick rowhouse on Quincy Place NW, where it abuts Florida Avenue. They had been splurging all their manpower on one side of the District and part of Prince George's County. That particular early morning I was desperate to set a fire and search most of morning looking for a place where it was safe to get a way fast. He just stood outside, alone in the rain, missing his chance to pay his respects to the dead.There was only 1 death, he wrote, so I left it at that.Sweatt may have followed the aftermath of his fires diligently, but in that last matter he was mistaken. When he saw the fire in the news, Sweatt learned the name of the man he'd just made a widower: Roy Picott. For that he seems thankful:My sister in Ohio sent pictures of her house (I never seen) and her yard is beautiful. . "We started to figure we needed to go way back," says ATF agent Tom Daley. His son and stepson were asleep in the basement and were unharmed. Episode 30: Thomas Sweatt - Crime Binge | iHeart That's not the way that fire started. Sweatt found a thrill in walking among the agents who were hunting him, his ego satisfied knowing he was always a step ahead. "About a year and a half ago, I sent a letter to Sweatt at the federal prison in Terre Haute, Ind. Thomas Sweatt - Top podcast episodes There was a level of education. But that was the good part of "Tom" that people saw and only knew. The case status is Not Classified By Court. D.C. arsonist admitted to 300+ fires in 2005 proffer - FireRescue1 And, glad to hear these stories are of interest to you. In 2013, Fulkerson spoke to the International Association of Arson Investigators in Las Vegas and used Sweatt as a case study in solving tough crimes. I still believe in my mind that the Lord God Almighty brought them (the ATF) people to me because it was time for all this to stop. _____ "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https . A couple of fire officials from D.C. and Prince George's County were swapping notes at a promotional exam when they realized that a rash of suspicious fires had been set along their shared border. associates & neighbors include Patricia Kowalski, Rosemary Powderly, Kelly Vandiver, Joan Sweatt and Clyde Powderly. Way too long and way too early for a fire, 11:30 pm. During the nearly two-year investigation, the task force was able to link 50 fires to a single serial arsonist and ultimately identified Thomas Sweatt as the prime suspect. He Set Over 350 Fires | Thomas Sweatt | #shorts - YouTube I parked exactly in front of this house and watched -- when firetrucks came I moved around and just watched afar off. Upon extinguishing the blaze on the first floor of the residence, firefighters located 85-year-old Lou Edna Jones of the Evarts Street address inside. When forensic tests proved their arsonist was behind it, they found the fire deeply troubling. Thomas Sweatt died at age 66 years old on January 21, 1995.