Indiana man charged with two arsons

Members(s) of a local family held an Indiana man at gunpoint early Monday morning after he was caught on their property, where it is believed he had set a barn on fire.

Eric Michael Bell, 33, of Pendleton, Indiana, was arrested at about 12:40 a.m. on the Boyers family property at 486 Matt Lane, off of Shelby Road. A barn was destroyed by the fire, along with a tractor, several tons of feed and hay.

Bell admitted to starting the fire on the Boyers’ property, as well as an earlier fire involving a hay/straw trailer at LeGrand Feed on Sunday night.

A barn and tractor on the Boyers farm is seen Monday morning after an overnight fire destroyed them. One person is in custody, who has admitted to setting the fire there and at LeGrand Feed.Photo provided

Bell was charged Monday afternoon with the Class D felonies of second-degree arson (two counts), second-degree burglary (two counts) and first-degree terrorist threat and the Class E felonies of first-degree property damage and knowingly burning or exploding.

Bell, who is being held without bond, is to make his initial appearance before Associate Circuit Judge C. Wade Pierce on Thursday.

Authorities learned of the barn fire when Butler County deputies Austin Dunlap and Mike Cagel were driving by the Boyers’ property and saw the fire from the road, said Chief Deputy Wes Popp.

City and county firefighters subsequently responded at about 12:50 a.m. to a structure fire at the Boyers farm, owned by Kelly Boyers. The barn was fully involved upon firefighters’ arrival.

When officers arrived, they were “directed to a white male, later identified as Eric Bell, who was being detained by property owners,” according to Butler County Investigator Randle Huddleston’s probable-cause statement.

Bell reportedly had been found near the barn, which was on fire, Huddleston said.

Bell was found wearing a light blue, long sleeve shirt, which had the wording Municipal Utilities over the left breast pocket and Derek over the right breast pocket, Huddleston said. Boyers’ son, Derek, works for Municipal Utilities.

Huddleston said Bell also was wearing a straw cowboy hat, blue flannel pants and a pair of work books.

Bell, he said, was found in possession of a flashlight and two boxes of matches.

After being taken to the sheriff’s department, Bell was told of his rights and interviewed.

Bell, Huddleston said, reported he was homeless, but had stayed with his brother in Wayne County for about a week.

“E. Bell stated he was brought to Poplar Bluff by a friend (at) about 10 or 11 a.m. on Sunday, March 22, to attempt to stay at the (United Gospel) Rescue Mission,” Huddleston said. “E. Bell stated when he arrived there, he was told he would have to come back around 8 p.m. as they did not allow anyone in until then.”

Huddleston said Bell reported he spent the rest of the day walking around town and eventually ended up in the area of LeGrand Feed.

“E. Bell stated that he was a tracker in the military and was a military cop,” Huddleston said. “E. Bell stated he can sense when someone has done something wrong or is hiding something.

“E. Bell stated while he was at LeGrand Feed he observed a semi trailer that had the inscription Legendary Coffee on the side of it.”

Huddleston said Bell reported Legendary Coffee comes from South America, along with other things.

“E. Bell stated that he then ‘marked’ the trailer, so others would come to investigate it,” Huddleston said.

When asked what “marked” meant, “he clarified that he set it on fire,” Huddleston said.

Bell, Huddleston said, further reported he then walked around through open fields until he came to a residence with the name Boyers on it.

“E. Bell stated he was in jail in Stoddard County with a man with the last name of Boyers, who told him that his family had a lot of money,” Huddleston said. “(He) stated he began to sense that the Boyers family was hiding how they made their money and that there was wrong doing connected to it.”

Huddleston said Bell reported he swapped his moccasins for the pair of boots he had on, as well as the blue Municipal Utilities shirt. He also swapped his ball cap for the cowboy hat. Bell’s moccasins and ball cap were found by officers.

“E. Bell stated he entered the garage next to the residence and located some matches,” Huddleston said. “(He) stated he attempted to set the garage on fire by lighting some hay that was in the floor.

“(He) stated he then went to the barn, walked inside and set it on fire.”

When asked if he had been detained at gunpoint prior to officers’ arrival, “he stated yes,” Huddleston said. “E. Bell was asked if he threatened to kill their whole family, and he stated yes, and that he had done that too.”

Huddleston said Bell denied being related to the Boyers family or knowing them.

“E. Bell stated he only set the fires because he knew the Boyers had to be involved in wrong doing, and it need to be investigated,” Huddleston said.

Bell also allegedly entered a pump house near the barn and residence and shut off the valves to the water lines, cutting off the water supply to both the residence and barn.

Just before 8 p.m. Sunday, Poplar Bluff firefighters responded to a fire at LeGrand Feed, 1901 Hudson Drive.

Upon their arrival, according to Capt. Jeff Hale’s report, firefighters found the doors open on an enclosed trailer and straw on fire inside it.

Poplar Bluff police officers also responded, and Patrolman Jamie Sample contacted two witnesses, both of whom lived in the 1200 block of Hudson Drive and reported a white man they did not know had come to their doors.

The first witness, Sample said, reported the man, later identified as Bell, came to his door, carrying a slim flashlight.

“(The witness) stated the subject was wearing a white and black plaid or flannel type shirt, black pants and a dark gray sock hat,” Sample said. “(He) further described the subject as being scruffy faced, with a black or dark colored goatee and mustache.”

Bell, Sample said, reportedly asked the resident for a cigarette.

“(Bell) then stated that he was the son of Escubar and stated, ‘We started all of this. It’s gonna be like the fourth of July down there,’” Sample said.

Not knowing what Bell was “talking about, (the man) stated ‘OK’ and shrugged (Bell) off,” Sample said.

Bell then left, and the resident reported he watched as Bell walked to a neighbor’s house and then as he walked back north on Hudson Drive, where he disappeared into a bushy field behind The Home Depot, Sample said.

“(The witness) stated it wasn’t, but moments after that when the fire broke out in the hay trailer at LeGrand’s,” Sample said.

When the neighbor was contacted, Sample said, he reported Bell came to the door, asking for directions to the Rescue Mission.

Sample said the second man provided a similar description of Bell and also indicated he had what appeared to be two bags and backpacks in his possession.

“(The second witness) stated after giving (Bell) directions to the Rescue Mission, he proceeded to walk north on Hudson Drive toward Home Depot,” Sample said.