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July 1, 2009

<font color=RED>Breaking News: </font>Man arrested in arson case

Comanche man faces 15 counts, maybe more

Ron Booth

In 2006, wildfires ravaged Stephens County, displacing families and livestock.

Around 7 a.m. Wednesday, James Edgar Morgan Jr., 47, of Corum was arrested by Stephens County Sheriff Wayne McKinney on 15 counts of arson in the third degree, which is a felony, pertaining to the burning pasture land. Those fires that Morgan allegedly set date from 2006 to some recent fires.

“This is an investigation that started in January of this year,” McKinney said. “As we all know, our county has been ravaged by wildfires since 2006. One thing I wanted to get a handle on is there were a lot of fires that was suspicious in nature.

“I requested the aid from the Department of Agriculture, their arson unit, and we formed our own little task force. We started reinvestigating all of the fires from 2006 up to the current date.”

If convicted, Morgan faces 15 years in prison for each count or a $10,000 fine for each count, or both. Morgan is a ranch hand and has been a volunteer firefighter in Corum since July of 2006.

“I don’t want people to get a bad impression of firemen,” said McKinney, who is also a volunteer firefighter. “Volunteers are so important.”

McKinney, who owns a large parcel of land that was damaged by the wildfires in 2006, said that this arrest meant a lot to him personally.

“It is a great relief to me,” McKinney said. “My house came close to burning, and a lot of my pasture land did burn in 2006. A lot of my neighbors lost their homes in fires ... It is a big relief off of my shoulders to have this particular person in jail.”

Morgan could be facing more charges.

“We are looking at that right now. This investigation is still going on. The charges that we filed yesterday (Tuesday) with the district attorney’s office are supported by a written confession by Mr. Morgan taking claim for these fires. We have physical evidence that puts him there. It is a fluid investigation and we are looking at the additional amount of fires in that area.”

Read more in Thursday's Duncan Banner.

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