Woman Charged With Arson in Stearns County House Fire
Photo via Stearns County Sheriff’s Office
A North Dakota woman has been charged with arson after allegedly setting a home on fire with a propane torch last Thursday in Stearns County.
The Stearns County Sheriff's Office was dispatched on April 6 around 2:15 p.m. to the 43900 block of 248th Avenue in Krain Township, about 15 miles east of Sauk Centre, for a report of a dwelling fire.
Deputies arrived and observed a large column of black smoke and visible flames coming from the attic area.
While deputies were at the residence, Jamie Lynn Morin, 40, of Wahpeton, N.D., arrived at the home and admitted to starting the house on fire. Deputies asked why she started the home on fire and Morin made comments about being kidnapped.
The owner of the home arrived a short time later and said that he met Morin in North Dakota and she had been living with him for about a month. He stated that he left for work around 7:30 a.m. and that Morin was at the residence when he left. He told deputies he didn’t suspect Morin had used drugs but admitted that she occasionally exhibited some “unusual behaviors.”
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In a statement to police, Morin told deputies that she had “flipped out” and started a pile of clothes on fire in the laundry room with a propane torch. After she started the clothes on fire, she admitted to going into other rooms and igniting more items. During the statement, she continued to make comments about being kidnapped by someone, but not the owner of the home. Deputies also noticed signs of impairment from Morin.
Investigators say they located a propane cylinder with a charred hose attached to the tank, consistent with a torch that Morin stated she used to start the fire. Investigators also located a couch cushion with fire patterns that were consistent with a heat source being applied to the cushion.
Morin was charged with 1st-degree arson of a dwelling and faces up to 20 years in prison. Morin made a court appearance on Friday where bail was set at $100,000 with no conditions.
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