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NARRATOR: AN ARSONIST IS ON THE LOOSE IN HARLAN COUNTY,
TORCHING 4 BUILDINGS IN THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS.
Sherriff Lipfird: He is going to end up
killing somebody.
NARRATOR: NOW SHERIFF LIPFIRD IS ON THE HUNT.
Sherriff Lipfird: We have to stop this
one way or the other.
NARRATOR: AND HE'S TURNING THE COUNTY UPSIDE DOWN.
Sgt. Southerland: Yep, he's running.
Get him, Ice!
Stop right there!
Stop!
Sherriff Lipfird: Well no one knows where he went to.
He just pulls out and he's like,
he just disappeared.
NARRATOR: THIS TOP COP MUST CATCH HIS MAN,
BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE.
Sgt. Southerland: Nobody stayed with damned the car?
Sherriff Lipfird: We've had a rash of fires at abandoned
houses that have no electricity and no uh,
no other reason for it to be a fire.
Except for, arson.
NARRATOR: FORTUNATELY NO ONE'S BEEN KILLED.
BUT SHERIFF LIPFIRD KNOWS ALL TOO WELL THAT
COULD CHANGE WITH THE STRIKE OF A MATCH.
Sherriff Lipfird: My family, myself,
we have been victims of arsonists.
We have been victimized 7 times by arsonists.
It's somewhat personal to me.
Actually it's a lot personal to me,
just to be honest about it.
NARRATOR: SO THE SHERIFF'S PERSONALLY SPEARHEADING THE
ARSON INVESTIGATION, GATHERING HARLAN COUNTY'S
LOCAL FIREFIGHTERS TO STRATEGIZE HOW TO
CATCH THIS FIRESTARTER.
Sherriff Lipfird: You've had what, 3 fires?
Firefighter: Yeah.
Sherriff Lipfird: 3 fires.
Firefighter 2: 4.
Sherriff Lipfird: 4 fires.
Firefighter 3: Uh, on the 23rd at 9:59 we
got paged out for a brush fire at Cawood.
Sherriff Lipfird: Thing about an arsonist is,
they're just so unique and so almost specialized
in some one certain field.
'Cause most people that commit you know arsons,
or a lot of arsons, they really don't get into
much other crimes.
They just really don't.
Here's what we do, we try to profile him ok?
You've got to determine what factors
make an arsonist work.
It's either greed, profit.
Ok so it's either about insurance,
he's either getting paid to do it,
or he's doing it himself to benefit and
defraud the insurance company.
Or he's doing it for retribution,
which is my opinion why he's doing this.
We also know that these people always,
almost always, build shrines or have trinkets
or have some sort, almost like a ***,
they get trophies and take trophies.
We're gonna have to really start thinking
outside the box 'cause we've got to get him, ok?
He's getting to the point to where he's
gonna end up going after occupied structure.
It's inevitable.
He is going to; if we don't stop him,
or we don't at least get him corralled up in
some fashion, he is going to end up killing somebody.
NARRATOR: BUT AFTER 6 INTENSE WEEKS OF POLICE AND
FIRE WORK, THE SHERIFF HAS BIG NEWS FOR THE TEAM.
HE'S GOT A SUSPECT.
Sherriff Lipfird: He's been on some of
the fire departments.
I mean, do we have a consensus on that one?
Firefighters: Um-hmm.
Sherriff Lipfird: Ok, remember he had some issues
with the (bleep) Fire Department at one time.
Uh, he had issues with the (bleep) Fire Department.
Remember he joined (bleep) and they found him out.
They kicked him off.
They put you know put skates under him and stuff,
and got him out the door.
Any time there's a fire, he's there.
He beat Steven to a fire across from Steven's house!
He constantly goes out, uh, late,
late hours of the night.
He has no "somewhat legitimate"
reason to be rolling through Cawood or Catterns Creek,
2:00 and 3:00 in the morning.
Then you get into his family actually has a
history of setting fires.
Insurance fraud.
The house he lived in Catterns Creek,
they set fire to it, he set fire to it,
I'm just gonna say s.
Huh?
[firefighters all talk at once].
Sherriff Lipfird: That's what I say,
2 different times.
He set fire 2 different times.
It didn't burn the first time,
so that pissed him off, so he decided to go back
and do it again.
His own house!
The suspect, Shaun, has a shrine built to himself
in the closet of one of his apartments.
Open it up and there's newspaper articles of these
fires, and Shaun has his picture cut out and
glued over the top of the firefighter's picture.
I hate arsonists.
I'll just tell you right now I hate an arsonist.
I hate, because I've been burned at fires.
I've had to fight a lot of fires.
I've been injured, I've had a lot of good
friends injured at fires and uh,
God help you if I catch you.
NARRATOR: SHERIFF LIPFIRD WILL NEED HIS
BEST MEN WORKING THIS CASE.
Sgt. Southerland: Platz, platz.
Stay.
[shouts inaudibly]
NARRATOR: BUT RIGHT NOW, SERGEANT MIRON SOUTHERLAND'S
BUSY WORKING WITH ANOTHER OF HARLAN'S TOP COPS,
K-9 ICE.
Sgt. Southerland: This is an attack dog, ok?
That's his purpose.
He trusts just one person on this Earth and that's me.
Platz, platz!
Really good narcotics dog and
well-versed in apprehension.
Stop fighting the dog, stop fighting my dog!
Hands up!
We always called him a, "Shepherd on crack,"
cause that's the way they act.
All the energy and stuff they have.
But once you focus that energy on a certain task,
they're awesome dogs.
By no means is he gonna maul you to death, ok?
He's specifically trained to apprehend,
which is to latch onto a body part,
hold onto that body part for the person I send him on.
You getting tired?
Mitch Alford: Yeah.
Sgt. Southerland: How tired are you?
Mitch Alford: I'm tired!
Sgt. Southerland: You sure?
Mitch Alford: Miron, get him off.
Sgt. Southerland: You sure?
NARRATOR: AS A NEW DAY DAWNS,
SHERIFF MARVIN AND DEPUTY TRAVIS FREEMAN ARE
ON THEIR WAY TO QUESTION THEIR ARSON SUSPECT.
Sherriff Lipfird: We're heading to Cawood.
We've got some circumstantial evidence
that uh gives us a reason to go question him
and talk to him.
See what his uh, what his story is.
Deputy Freeman: Everyone hangs out at the,
the gas station up here right in the middle of town.
And apparently he's supposed to live somewhere nearby,
maybe one of the apartments above.
Ok, just hang tight.
Sherriff Lipfird: Well, he's not at his normal place.
NARRATOR: THE SUSPECT'S NOT THERE,
BUT THE SHERIFF'S PRESENCE DRAWS OUT THE LOCALS.
Sherriff Lipfird: How you doing?
Neighbor: I'm all right Marvin, how are you?
Sherriff Lipfird: I'm looking for a boy that
lives up here named Shaun.
He lives in one of these apartments here.
I'm going to Shaun's house see what he has to say.
Get there, he's not there.
One of his neighbors, soon as I come back down
from this, the apartment, she's like,
"Marvin come here, I need to talk to you."
Neighbor: It'd have to be that girl
right there above us.
Sherriff Lipfird: Red-headed girl?
Neighbor: Yeah.
Got long hair, got a little baby.
Sherriff Lipfird: That's it.
NARRATOR: THE NEIGHBOR TELLS MARVIN THE SUSPECT'S
LIVING HERE, WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND.
Neighbor: Hey, but Marvin, she's driving
a green Grand Am.
Green um, Grand Am now.
Sherriff Lipfird: She's driving a green
Grand Am now?
Neighbor: Yeah, for some odd reason they're coming
in late and leaving late.
Sherriff Lipfird: How late?
Neighbor: I'm talking 12:00 at night, honey.
Sherriff Lipfird: Let me ask you a question.
When you see, uh, see the fire trucks roll up here,
when they have fires and stuff or hear them and
stuff, are they gone?
Neighbor: Half a, uh, yeah.
I ain't gonna lie to you, you know,
I never stuck a lie to you.
Sherriff Lipfird: You've, no,
no you've not and I've always,
have I not always shot straight with you?
Neighbor: Yeah.
Sherriff Lipfird: You ever see him up here
buying gas in containers?
Neighbor: Yeah, puttin' it in a, like a clear jug.
It's never in a gas jug.
Sherriff Lipfird: Like a milk jug?
Neighbor: Yeah.
Sherriff Lipfird: She's like, "Look, he carries
jugs of gas, jugs of gasoline into
the house with him."
But just about every time he leaves here he's
got that jug of gas with him?
Neighbor: Yeah.
Sherriff Lipfird: Especially late at night.
Neighbor: Yes, he had that jug that night.
Sherriff Lipfird: That's extremely weird.
Why do you do that?
He lives literally next door to a gas station.
Sherriff Lipfird: Well you've got my cell number.
I don't care what time of the night it is.
You see him prancing out of here with a gas,
jug of gasoline; you call me.
If I have to I'll come out in my uh,
pajamas to come catch him.
'Cause I'm tired of this, it's killing us.
It's inevitable.
Uh, fire bugs have the potential and can very
easily kill someone without even realizing
they've done it until it's, it's already done.
Sherriff Lipfird: You've got my cell number.
Neighbor: Yeah.
Sherriff Lipfird: There's a firebug in this county,
and it's my job to stop him.
NARRATOR: HARLAN COUNTY IS BURNING.
THERE'S AN ARSONIST ON THE LOOSE
AND SHERIFF MARVIN LIPFIRD JUST
GOT A HOT TIP ON THE ARSON SUSPECT.
Neighbor: For some odd reason,
they're coming in late and leaving late.
Sherriff Lipfird: How late?
NARRATOR: ONE OF THE LOCALS THINKS HER NEIGHBOR'S
BEEN ACTING SUSPICIOUS.
Sherriff Lipfird: You ever see him up here
buying gas in containers?
Neighbor: Yeah, puttin' it in a, like a clear jug.
It's never in a gas jug.
Sherriff Lipfird: Like a milk jug?
Neighbor: Yeah.
NARRATOR: NOW HE AND DEPUTY TRAVIS FREEMAN JUST
NEED TO FIND THEIR PRIME SUSPECT.
Sherriff Lipfird: The good thing about Harlan is,
is um, I wouldn't call it a militia.
But I'd say it's a, it's a very,
very good neighborhood watch.
She confirmed a lot of my suspicions.
She uh, she confirmed to me that late at night,
he leaves with a container of gasoline.
Man, that's just not, that's just not normal at all.
That's completely abnormal to me.
Yep, they're with me, go ahead.
Neighbor: Little Oney is behind the building
right now, hiding.
NARRATOR: ONEY BROWN, A LOCAL CRIMINAL WANTED
FOR LARCENY, AND A FRIEND OF THE SUSPECT,
JUST DUCKED BEHIND THE BUILDING WHEN HE CAUGHT
A GLIMPSE OF THE LAW.
Sherriff Lipfird: I know a lot of people
in Harlan County.
I know who a lot of people hang with in Harlan County.
I knew that Oney was buddies with a suspect that
I was looking for, for arson.
Do we have any warrants on Little Oney?
Deputy Freeman: There is some, yeah.
Sherriff Lipfird: He's behind the building.
You go that way, I'll go this way.
NARRATOR: IF THEY CAN QUESTION ONEY,
THEY MAY GET SOME VITAL ANSWERS ON
THE ARSON SUSPECT.
Sherriff Lipfird: Is that him?
NARRATOR: BUT FIRST, THEY'VE GOTTA FIND HIM.
[Sheriff Lipfird whistles].
Deputy Freeman: Marvin.
Sherriff Lipfird: Is that him?
Deputy Freeman: No, it ain't him.
Sherriff Lipfird: Yeah, let's go.
NARRATOR: NO ONEY, BUT SHERIFF LIPFIRD'S GOT
A SCENT AND IS ON THE HUNT.
Sherriff Lipfird: That woman helped me a lot.
I like to say that I have a lot more spies
than I do informants.
And I'd much rather have spies than informants,
because I can, I can work on the information
they give me and create my own case.
Uh, she said herself, everybody in the whole
community suspects him of setting fires.
I can't catch him if he's not doing anything.
And I'd much rather we just spook him out of it than,
than him go out and set fire to something
and somebody get hurt.
But I'd really love just to catch him too.
NARRATOR: THE SHERIFF SUSPECTS THE ALLEGED
ARSONIST SET FOUR FIRES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
FORTUNATELY THE BUILDINGS WERE UNINHABITED.
BUT HE KNOWS IT'S JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE
THE SUSPECT CHANGES HIS "M.O."
Sherriff Lipfird: I'm afraid he's gonna step up
to occupied structures.
Uh, we've got a lot of old buildings in this county.
Very large, old buildings in this county.
Be like a tinderbox.
Sgt. Southerland: Hello.
Really?
All right, I'll start easing that way and
see if I can find him.
All right, see you.
Bye.
NARRATOR: ACROSS THE COUNTY, SERGEANT MIRON SOUTHERLAND
AND HIS K-9, ICE, GET A LEAD.
SOMEONE'S SPOTTED ONEY BROWN.
Sgt. Southerland: That was, uh our dispatcher.
She said that they got a tip that Oney Brown,
a guy we got a warrant on,
is coming from Cumberland
in a pink Cavalier on the Old Road.
Oney Brown is from the Cawood area;
he's been picked up several times on warrants.
Uh, he kinda likes to run sometimes.
I think the warrant on him right now is an FTA,
Failure to Appear, which is a Misdemeanor warrant.
So, see if we can pick him up.
Crime is connected, absolutely.
You know, people that break the law tend to hang
in certain circles.
And generally like most of the time when you find
somebody with a warrant uh, you're gonna find 2 or 3
more people standing around with them
that's got warrants.
And, they just draw to each other.
Whoa!
That's it, that's it, that's it, that's it!
That's the pink Cavalier.
He's running from us.
[sirens blare]
NARRATOR: SERGEANT SOUTHERLAND IS ON HIS OWN.
ALL THE OTHER OFFICERS ARE SPREAD FAR AND WIDE ON
CALLS ACROSS THE RUGGED 465 SQUARE MILE COUNTY.
IF HE WANTS TO GRAB ONEY BROWN,
HE'S GOTTA DO IT HIMSELF.
[radio chatter].
Sgt. Southerland: He's running.
Hey buddy I'm gonna let the dog go!
Ice!
Come, come, come!
Get him Ice!
Harlan County Sheriff's Office.
You ready Ice?
Ice, get him boy!
Too late, dog's coming!
Stop right there, stop!
Stop (bleep), I'll shoot your ***!
Sgt. Southerland: You ready Ice?
Ice, you ready?
Get him, boy!
Stop right there!
Stop!
Stop (bleep), I'll shoot your ***!
I'm looking dead at him;
he looks directly back at me.
He looks at Ice.
[suspect shouting in distance].
Sgt. Southerland: Put that knife down!
Suspect: You can't find an opening!
Sgt. Southerland: You make one wrong move,
that dog'll rip your throat out, (bleep)!
Come back this way!
Suspect: You come in this way!
Sgt. Southerland: Come this way,
or I'll send that dog!
Suspect: I gotta come up this way!
Sgt. Southerland: He pulls the blade,
I pulled the dog back.
I'm not going to send my dog to die.
Heel boy!
Pfui Platz!
(bleep) got a knife.
Ice!
10-4.
I've got him penned in here in a thicket,
just waiting for a unit to back me up.
He's trapped in there.
NARRATOR: SERGEANT MIRON SOUTHERLAND'S CORNERED HIS
ARMED SUSPECT IN THE THICK WOODS.
BUT HE'S ALONE AND CAN'T RISK GOING IN AFTER HIM.
FORTUNATELY, NEIGHBORING POLICE DEPARTMENTS HAVE
HEARD HIS CALL FOR BACK-UP AND SPRING ONTO THE SCENE.
Sgt. Southerland: All right, I'm going in.
Policeman: You're going in?
Sgt. Southerland: Yep.
He's in here somewhere.
Policeman: No he's not up here.
Sgt. Southerland: He couldn't have went too far.
Sherriff Lipfird: Unit 1, Unit 15.
Sgt. Southerland: Go ahead.
Sherriff Lipfird: Does this subject got a shirt
on or not?
I saw a subject right below Putney,
running through a field without a shirt on.
Sgt. Southerland: He could've took it off, go ahead.
Policeman: What did he say?
Sgt. Southerland: Without a shirt on.
Sherriff Lipfird: 10-4.
I'm turning around on 119 here at Putney.
I'll follow him on foot pursuit from here.
Sgt. Southerland: 10-4.
He's made it across the road somehow.
Policeman: Yep.
Sgt. Southerland: Yep.
NARRATOR: BUT THE SERGEANT'S NOT GIVING UP THAT EASY.
Sgt. Southerland: Good boy, Ice.
Good job.
That's the only bad part about having
nobody else out.
You'll be the only one out in the whole county.
Did you guys see him?
Witness: Yeah, my brother just called and
said he's running up this way.
I don't know if he's on this side or
on that side of the river.
Right here's my brother,
let me ask him.
Witness' Brother: I saw him cross back to
the other side.
Sgt. Southerland: He's on the other side?
Witness' Brother: Yeah, he's gone back.
Sgt. Southerland: All right.
Come on boy, round 2.
Ok, yeah, he could've crossed here easy.
It's a cat and mouse game.
He has the upper hand.
I'm the guy that's trying to, you know, find him.
Did you guys see anybody?
Witness: I did earlier.
Sgt. Southerland: Which way did they go?
Witness: That way.
Witness 2: To the right.
Sgt. Southerland: Ok.
Witness: About 15 minutes ago.
Sgt. Southerland: Ok, I got his track.
Ice is on him.
That blue house that's up the tracks
from you guys just a little ways.
The dogs over there are barking pretty good.
I lost his scent into the river right here,
so he's probably crossed the river.
NARRATOR: THE TRAIL GOES COLD.
Sgt. Southerland: All right, come on.
I didn't want him to push farther up in the mountains,
so I held my position to keep him
from going this way.
There's a greater chance of people seeing
him if he comes towards the, the road.
He's went across the river.
They's two over there right now got a pretty
good set of tracks.
I'm gonna go over and see if I can track
him on that side.
Witness: He don't have a shirt on.
Sgt. Southerland: He's took his shirt off now?
Witness: He don't have a shirt on.
Sgt. Southerland: All right, good.
Witness: He's got tattoos all over him
and all that, but.
Sgt. Southerland: That's it?
Witness: He's got his wet pants, they're wet.
Sgt. Southerland: So, right now we're pretty
sure he crossed, right?
Witness: If that's what the dog's saying.
Did, did he get on that trail?
Sgt. Southerland: He went down about half way
and crossed over.
Witness: Yeah.
Sgt. Southerland: So, you guys care to keep
an eye out on this side?
Witness: Yeah.
Sgt. Southerland: Ok.
Harlan people, they don't lay down.
You know?
They get out there and they try to help.
And they care about their community,
and they don't want these guys stealing their stuff,
or breaking into their house and killing their family.
So they're out there to help us.
NARRATOR: SHERIFF MARVIN LIPFIRD'S HEARD HIS
SERGEANT'S CALLS AND IS NOW ON THE HUNT
FOR THE SUSPECT, ONEY BROWN.
HE NEEDS TO GRAB ONEY AND SQUEEZE HIM FOR INFO
ON THE SUSPECTED ARSONIST SETTING HARLAN ABLAZE.
Dispatcher: 10-4.
812, you got a visual on Unit One?
Sherriff Lipfird: You know, my one day off,
helping my daughter move back from college.
Walk in the house, phone rings.
Miron's in foot pursuit, I'm running out the door.
Sgt. Southerland: 10-4.
Where do I need to go?
Sherriff Lipfird: 15, just go to the 119,
south of where that thicket is.
I've got the other side covered over here.
Sgt. Southerland: 10-4.
I'm on 522, heading back to 119.
They think they may have a trail on him now.
He might've crossed back over the river.
He knows that I have a K-9 unit and I'm tracking him.
So he's using the river as cover.
You ready for Round 3, Ice?
It's not looking good for here.
What?
What, you going this way for a reason?
It worries me him going to the water like that.
I don't think he's dumb enough to come
back out on the road.
Should be going down in about probably 30, 40 minutes.
NARRATOR: SERGEANT SOUTHERLAND'S RACING THE SUN.
ONCE NIGHT FALLS, HE'LL NEVER FIND ONEY
IN THESE WOODS.
Sgt. Southerland: He's at water.
He's, I've got bushes freshly broken right here.
[Sheriff Lipfird whistles].
Sherriff Lipfird: Miron!
Can you see me?
That drain, 15 yards that way?
Check that drain.
Sgt. Southerland: All right.
Sherriff Lipfird: Can you come around and look in?
Dispatcher: He just, that 10-12 headed back towards
Laden Trail, right at the junction.
Sgt. Southerland: Sweet!
NARRATOR: DISPATCH INFORMS THEM,
ONEY'S JUST BEEN SPOTTED BACK AT HIS ABANDONED CAR.
Sgt. Southerland: 10-4, we're on the New Road
heading that way.
[sirens blare]
Said they spotted him up here back at the junction.
Car's gone!
He's come back and got the damned car, people!
Nobody stayed with the car?
Sgt. Southerland: Car's gone!
He's come back and got the damned car, people!
Nobody stayed with the car?
You guys just give me a minute,
just give me a minute.
NARRATOR: SERGEANT MIRON SOUTHERLAND'S SUSPECT,
ONEY BROWN, HAS GIVEN HIM THE SLIP AGAIN.
Sgt. Southerland: When I came back and seen the car gone,
basically I was aggravated, frustrated, angry at myself.
At him, for coming back and um, I, you know,
I lost my cool.
I lost my cool.
He's come back took the car!
Sherriff Lipfird: What kind of car?
Sgt. Southerland: Pink Cavalier.
Sherriff Lipfird: I come back,
Miron's like "This is where the car was,
this is where the car was."
We realized he's mobile.
Well by God, tell him move.
I'm going after a pink Cavalier.
[radio chatter].
NARRATOR: IF THEY CAN FIND ONEY,
HE MAY LEAD THEM TO THE BIGGER FISH THEY'RE AFTER.
A MAN THEY SUSPECT COULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR A STRING
OF ARSONS ACROSS HARLAN COUNTY.
Sherriff Lipfird: I have no clue where the uh,
what direction this person could be traveling.
There's so many roads here.
I mean, they could'a went just about anywhere.
Dispatcher: Located that, that uh,
vehicle at Hiram Trailer Park on 119.
Sgt. Southerland: Let's go, let's go!
NARRATOR: FINALLY, A BREAK.
[sirens blare]
Sgt. Southerland: 10-4.
Does he have the 10-12 in custody?
Dispatcher: He did advise he was traffic
stopping at the time.
Sgt. Southerland: 10-4.
Another PD unit, coming from the other direction
happened to see that vehicle on the road and
initiates a traffic stop.
And boom, we got him.
Who pulled him over?
You pulled him over?
Thank you, sir.
I appreciate it.
Good job.
I'm glad he got caught cause he's a danger to hisself,
he's a danger to others and he's in custody now.
However with that being said,
as of right now I'm still disappointed.
You know, it aggravates me to talk about it,
because I've, not made a lot of mistakes like
that in my career.
And to me that's, that's a mistake.
Sherriff Lipfird: Got your man, didn't you?
Sgt. Southerland: I didn't get him.
Sherriff Lipfird: Who has him now?
Sgt. Southerland: We do, but I didn't get him.
Sherriff Lipfird: Hey, got's got.
Write it down.
Sgt. Southerland: Ice had him!
He pulled out a big knife on Ice and went like that!
The only thing aggravates me is I thought
that certain people was watching the vehicle.
I was under the impression it was being
watched when I left.
Sherriff Lipfird: I'd have gotten in the vehicle
and drove it off myself and hid it.
Sgt. Southerland: Well see, I was,
I mean it actually worked out good the way it did,
but I was just under the impression
it was being watched.
Sherriff Lipfird: Wonder why he stopped?
He didn't run.
Sgt. Southerland: He's killed.
Dude, you have no idea how far we ran him!
Sherriff Lipfird: Oh yeah, I do too!
Yeah, I do too.
Sgt. Southerland: And he ran more than me!
Sherriff Lipfird: You know, the unique thing about
police officers and sheriffs and troopers and everybody;
we will fight and fuss amongst ourselves.
But, when a call goes out, "Officer needs assistance,"
we rally.
NARRATOR: NOW SHERIFF LIPFIRD HOPES TO LEVERAGE
HIS PRISONER FOR INFORMATION ON THE MAN HE
BELIEVES MAY BE THE SERIAL ARSON SUSPECT.
Sherriff Lipfird: Damn, Oney.
All that for two warrants, buddy?
Oney Brown Jr.: Yeah.
Sherriff Lipfird: I bet you're scratched up.
It actually tickled me to death to see
Oney in handcuffs.
He has a Larceny charge and he's looking at 10 years.
So, if he can actually help me stop a serial
arsonist I will try to get him a year in the state prison.
If I help you will you help me?
Oney Brown Jr.: Yeah, if you need help, yeah.
I'm glad he got me really.
I was a fugitive from another state.
I'd been running for months.
I appreciate him helping me.
You can never get away with it.
They'll get you.
Eventually.
Sherriff Lipfird: I sat and talked to Oney.
I said, "Look, this is what I'm willing to do.
Make a call to Virginia, I'm good friends with them
over at the Lee County Sheriff's Office."
Here's what I've got.
We've chased Oney Brown all over uh,
hell's half acre and uh, we finally corralled him up.
Um, Oney Brown Jr. he's looking at 10 he
said over there for uh, I think Larceny.
Detective: Yeah.
Sherriff Lipfird: Over 200.
Now here's my problem.
I've got a serial arsonist over here and
Oney's his best friend in the world.
Detective: Yeah.
Sherriff Lipfird: He's willing to stand up and
go ahead do 2 or 3.
Um, he just don't wanna get 6 or 10.
If he, if he can help me bust this arson case,
is there any way we can help him over there?
I mean, I understand.
Detective: Yeah, yeah.
Sherriff Lipfird: That's what I wanted to hear.
Ok, well, I'm gonna sit.
I've already Mirandized, I'm gonna sit down and
talk to him a little bit,
see what he can give me on this arsonist,
see if he can give me enough to get an
arrest warrant, if he can.
At least a search warrant.
If he can do that, then uh, then.
Detective: Yeah.
Sherriff Lipfird: Then I'll let you know brother.
Detective didn't hesitate, he said,
"If he can give you what you need,
I'm willing to work with him on his charges over here.
No, no problem, no question Sheriff."
Because we do work well together.
NARRATOR: THE NEXT MORNING, SHERIFF LIPFIRD
PAYS ONEY A VISIT IN JAIL.
Sherriff Lipfird: You're looking good buddy,
you're actually looking happier.
Grab your seat, let's talk a minute.
Ok, um, you probably need to get out of here,
that'd be the best thing for you.
You probably need to uh, in my opinion I would uh,
I would probably go look to live somewhere else,
get you a job, and become a productive
member of society man.
You're young yet.
I mean you've got a good head on your shoulders;
you've got a family now.
You've got some real, serious responsibilities.
I don't want to see the boy go to prison for
the next 10 years, he's got two small children.
I'd like to see him actually change,
you know get a job, become productive.
That's a huge success to me.
So uh, yeah, I'd love to help people that way.
Ok, what can you tell me about Shaun and these fires?
Oney Brown Jr.: Well, the only one I know about
is the one up on the hill.
Sherriff Lipfird: That's good enough, that's one.
One's all I need.
Oney Brown Jr.: That's the only one I know.
Sherriff Lipfird: What did he do?
Oney Brown Jr.: He said he and his old lady was,
they was arguing and fighting one night and he
was walking around Cawood about 2:00 or 3:00
in the morning, and set it.
And boy, it burned.
Sherriff Lipfird: Oney gave me some information
on one fire, definite.
He'd, the guy confessed to him,
told him he set the fire.
Why'd he say he burned that house?
Let's get into that.
Oney Brown Jr.: He said he's just walking around,
bored to death, had nothing to do.
Sherriff Lipfird: And he just set fire to it?
Oney Brown Jr.: Set it on fire.
Sherriff Lipfird: Ok.
Used to, used to hear the old saying,
"there's no honor among thieves."
Well, there's no loyalty among thieves,
is what it comes down to.
It's a dog eat dog world and um,
it just so happens that Oney was the big dog that day.
He's got a chance to eat another dog.
Sherriff Lipfird: He ever talked about
burning anything else?
Oney Brown Jr.: Burned his trailer,
for insurance money.
Sherriff Lipfird: He did talk about that?
Oney Brown Jr.: Yep.
Sherriff Lipfird: What'd he say?
Oney Brown Jr.: He said he got like $15,000
or something.
Sherriff Lipfird: I got insurance fraud and
arson on his own property.
To me that's pretty convincing.
So we gotta catch him.
NARRATOR: SHERIFF LIPFIRD IS STEADILY BUILDING HIS CASE
AGAINST THE MAN HE BELIEVES TO BE THE
COUNTY'S SERIAL ARSONIST.
AND TODAY HE'S GONNA SQUEEZE AN INFORMANT WHO
MAY HAVE HELPED TO SET THE FIRES.
Sherriff Lipfird: You mind if I shut the door?
Me and you gonna talk.
You may not remember me, but I remember you
when you was a little boy.
Informant: Boy, it's been a long time hasn't it?
Sherriff Lipfird: It's a couple weeks.
It's been a couple weeks.
Informant: Yep.
Sherriff Lipfird: To get a warrant,
all I need is probable cause.
Uh, to believe that the person's
committed the crime.
I have no clue what he will tell me.
Hopefully he'll give me information that he either
participated, or witnessed, the actual crime and give me
details of the crime that only a participant
or witness would know.
Other than law enforcement.
You know why we're here and I know why you're here.
Ain't no need in you and me beating around the bush, ok?
Informant: Yep.
Sherriff Lipfird: So, I do want you to know up front.
Most of the time I can tell when people's trying
to play games and BS with me, ok?
Informant: Yep.
Sherriff Lipfird: You start that,
I'm gonna *** you up.
Good enough?
Informant: Good enough.
Sherriff Lipfird: Ok.
My strategy's very simple.
You know, I'm gonna read their body language.
I'm gonna try to determine if uh,
if he's trying to feed me a line,
or if he's telling me what he thinks I want to hear.
Um, and uh, basically just go from there and see uh,
see where it leads us.
Now, tell me what knowledge you have
of Shaun setting fires.
Informant: Oh, well uh, when we was at the road
and we walked over to the trailer,
'cause he spotted the window open and stuff.
I went over there with him, and he climbed up on the
tongue of the trailer.
Sherriff Lipfird: Uh-huh.
Informant: And uh, there was a mattress there.
He seen there wasn't nobody there or nothing, so he,
he reached over there with his lighter and lit it.
And seeing it was, started to blaze, so we left.
Sherriff Lipfird: So he stayed there and waited
'til it started up good?
Informant: Yep.
Sherriff Lipfird: Ok.
Informant: 'Til the whole mattress was lit.
Sherriff Lipfird: Right.
Informant: Then me and him went over to the
riverbank over on the hill and went to the house.
Sherriff Lipfird: Ok.
He sets a lot of fires?
Informant: Yes.
Sherriff Lipfird: Does he, you know that to be a fact?
Informant: Yes.
Sherriff Lipfird: Ok.
How do you know that to be a fact?
Informant: Because I was with him at that one and
just by the way he's told me about some
of his other ones.
Sherriff Lipfird: What else has he told you?
Informant: About burning other places down to get
insurance money.
Sherriff Lipfird: Ok, so Shaun (bleep).
Informant: Yes.
Sherriff Lipfird: Set fire to a house for insurance fraud.
Informant: Yes.
Sherriff Lipfird: Ok.
NARRATOR: THE INFORMANT GIVES SHERIFF LIPFIRD
SPECIFIC DETAILS AND EYEWITNESS TESTIMONY THAT
WILL BE KEY IN OBTAINING AN ARREST WARRANT
FOR THE ARSON SUSPECT.
Sherriff Lipfird: You consider Shaun dangerous?
Informant: Yes.
Sherriff Lipfird: Why?
Informant: I guess uh, his mind ain't all there.
I mean, people that does that, Marvin,
they really need to be gone, man.
Sherriff Lipfird: Seems like he delivered a little
bit more than I thought he was going to
be able to deliver.
Actually gave me details of uh,
how Shaun apparently burned his own residence
to collect money from the insurance companies.
So, uh, he actually came through.
Anything else?
Informant: No sir.
Sherriff Lipfird: You're sure?
Informant: I'm positive, 100% sure.
Sherriff Lipfird: I'm never 100% sure about anything.
[informant laughs].
Sherriff Lipfird: I'm positive about two things.
One, that there's a Lord Jesus Christ, and two,
I'm not him.
Other than that, everything's subject
to my scrutiny, ok?
We good to go, bro.
You can go over and get you a cup of coffee
or something, if you want to.
Informant: Ok.
Sherriff Lipfird: I got the information that
I feel like I needed.
Uh, get with the commonwealth attorney's
office; make sure it meets their criteria.
I'll get my warrant today and, um,
we'll make an arrest.
NARRATOR: SHERIFF LIPFIRD HAS GRABBED HIS WARRANTS.
NOW IT'S TIME TO GRAB THE MAN HE BELIEVES COULD
BE THE SERIAL ARSONIST.
Sherriff Lipfird: I get to go lay hands on my arsonist
today and charge him with at least two counts of arson.
Been a long time coming.
I have warrants in hand.
The judge said I met the criteria,
and hopefully the people of Harlan County will be
able to sleep just a little bit better tonight.
They don't have to worry about someone setting
fire to their house or their properties.
NARRATOR: TO CAPTURE THE SUSPECT,
THE SHERIFF ENLISTS THE HELP OF NOT ONLY HIS OWN MEN,
BUT MEMBERS OF THE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT AS WELL.
Firefighter: He must of went up on Cawood hill.
Sherriff Lipfird: I'll lay hands on him.
Watch for me.
That was, uh, one of the volunteer firefighters
that's had to fight a lot of these fires.
And they've got a vested interest themselves in it.
NARRATOR: NOW THE HUNT IS ON TO FIND THE ARSON SUSPECT
BEFORE HE SETS ANOTHER BUILDING ABLAZE.
Deputy Brewer: We're gonna be looking for
a green Pontiac Grand Am.
When you've got a county as large as Harlan trying
to find that vehicle sometimes is not too easy.
Sherriff Lipfird: He's went mobile and no one knows
where he went, where he went to.
He just pulls out and he's, like he just,
disappeared, so.
Which is not uncommon with him.
He, he does that stuff.
Where can he be, where can he be?
Hello!
Firefighter: Hello, he just passed the post office
headed back up uh, this way.
He went on past signal one, up towards Old Road.
Sherriff Lipfird: All right then, appreciate it.
Firefighter: Ok.
NARRATOR: SHERIFF MARVIN HAS RECEIVED A CALL FROM ONE
OF THE VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS THAT THE
SUSPECT'S CAR HAS BEEN SPOTTED NEARBY.
Sherriff Lipfird: Are you kidding me?
Unit 1, Unit 29, Unit 15 I'm turning into Cawood now,
see if I can find him.
Copy?
Sgt. Southerland: 10-4.
I'm on 421, getting ready to come up on the post office,
Shaun should be running.
If he's coming the way the Sheriff said
he'd be coming right there.
Deputy Brewer: This might be our vehicle.
He doesn't have a big pink "UK" sticker in the
back of his window, does he?
Sherriff Lipfird: He might, I don't know.
Deputy Brewer: I just passed one here coming out
of Cawood; I'll turn on it and make contact.
Sherriff Lipfird: Well, I think that may be it.
Deputy Brewer: Oh, I've got him right here.
Little Creek Trailer Park.
Sherriff Lipfird: I'm turning.
I'm at the bottom of the hill.
1137, I'll be en route to you.
Deputy Brewer: Harlan County Sheriff's Office,
with a warrant!
Show me your hands!
Step out here right now!
Sherriff Lipfird: I'm turning.
I'm at the bottom of the hill.
1137, I'll be en route to you.
NARRATOR: DEPUTY CHRIS BREWER'S CORNERED THE
SUSPECTED SERIAL ARSONIST TERRORIZING HARLAN COUNTY.
NOW HE NEEDS TO SECURE THE FIREBUG,
BEFORE HE DOES SOMETHING RASH.
Deputy Brewer: Harlan County Sheriff's Office,
with a warrant!
Step out here right now!
Shaun Johnson: Do you know what for?
Deputy Brewer: Um, they're on their way with it.
NARRATOR: AFTER AN INTENSE, WEEKS-LONG MANHUNT,
THE SUSPECT GOES DOWN WITHOUT A FIGHT.
Sherriff Lipfird: Got a warrant for,
two warrants for you.
Arson Second, Arson Third.
Shaun Johnson: On what?
Sherriff Lipfird: We ain't gonna discuss that
in front of everybody.
Hop on in.
NARRATOR: FINALLY, SHERIFF LIPFIRD'S ANXIOUS COMMUNITY
CAN BREATH A SIGH OF RELIEF.
Sherriff Lipfird: Give me a hug.
[laughter].
Firefighter: He's caused us a lot of headache.
Firefighter 2: A lot.
Firefighter: And a lot of people.
Sherriff Lipfird: Well, couldn't have done this
without you all and that's a fact.
But we're all in this together.
Firefighter: Yeah, oh my gosh.
Sherriff Lipfird: I mean, you know we're
all in this together.
Firefighter: We appreciate it.
Sherriff Lipfird: No, I appreciate you all.
Firefighter: We can sleep now.
Sherriff Lipfird: Nerve-wracking ain't it?
Firefighters: Yeah!
Sherriff Lipfird: Hey, good job.
Deputy Brewer: Thanks sir.
Sgt. Southerland: Oh, shaking my hand?
Thank you, thank you.
I'm voting for you anyways.
[laughs].
Sherriff Lipfird: I want you to!
Let's saddle up and ride!
NARRATOR: NOW IT'S TIME FOR THE SHERIFF TO
GET SOME ANSWERS.
Sherriff Lipfird: My strategy's simply this,
just talk to him.
I know the facts.
The informants and the people that's been there
with him have given me the facts in the case.
He can deny, deny, deny, but these people are willing
to go testify they were with him or
watched him set these fires.
NARRATOR: SHERIFF LIPFIRD'S GOT A WEALTH OF
EVIDENCE AGAINST HIS MAN.
BUT A FULL CONFESSION WILL ONLY MAKE HIS CASE
THAT MUCH STRONGER.
Sherriff Lipfird: We'll go downstairs and talk.
In this interview what I plan on doing is simply
see if he will just tell me why he sets fires.
Not so much if he sets the fires.
I mean I've got enough proof to prove he sets the fires.
I'm trying to prove why he did it.
That's all I'm wanting to know is why he did it.
I think he's gonna come around and, and,
and give me hints and pieces.
And I'd say it'll be enough to help,
help in the conviction of him.
I remember when you was a kid dude, ok?
Uh, you got to think you was a little bitty baby
when your dad worked for me.
Shaun Johnson: He told me about it a long time ago.
Sherriff Lipfird: Um-hm.
We used to act all foolish together and stuff.
Uh, that's when you're young, you know how that is.
So I've actually known you your whole life.
Shaun Johnson: Pretty much.
Sherriff Lipfrid: This is just my job.
Shaun Johnson: It's your job, you know.
Sherriff Lipfird: It's my job.
Shaun Johnson: You gotta do what you gotta do.
Sherriff Lipfird: And I'm, you know, I gotta do my job.
So we're gonna start off by being honest.
Shaun Johnson: Yes sir.
Sherriff Lipfird: Fair enough?
Shaun Johnson: Yes sir.
Sherriff Lipfird: This is what I've got on you.
I've got an Arson Second Degree on your house,
Arson Third Degree on another house up at Cawood.
There's no need in us going *** for tat,
playing games with each other cause you're charged.
Shaun Johnson: Yes sir.
Sherriff Lipfird: But, the question actually,
the big question I actually have is,
why do you set these fires, dude?
I mean I'm just curious, I'm just honest to God curious.
I'm not asking if you did, I know you did.
I mean, we're beyond that.
I've got warrants, I mean, we're way beyond that.
Shaun Johnson: Hmm.
Sherriff Lipfird: I mean, just curious.
Shaun Johnson: I don't know.
Sherriff Lipfird: I've got eyewitnesses that watched
you set fire though.
Shaun Johnson: Well they just have to face me
in the courtroom and see.
Sherriff Lipfird: Oh, they're gonna face you
in a courtroom.
Shaun Johnson: Ok.
Sherriff Lipfird: And he has no problem facing
you in a courtroom.
Um, y'all set around, with two other people you know,
you got high, and you went into great detail
about how you tried to start the fire once.
It didn't burn.
There was cooking oil involved and they went back
and there was clothes put in the closet.
Shaun Johnson: I don't know.
Sherriff Lipfird: He was not, uh,
giving me the indicators of a uh,
person who's being truthful.
He was leaning over digging at his fingernails.
He would lean back, he would lean forward;
lean back, lean forward.
He never would really look me in the eye.
When he'd answer a question he would want to mumble
and kinda look to the side.
I mean that's just, that's just the way
confessions go sometimes.
I mean, either it's gonna be a good, "Oh absolutely,"
or it's gonna be watered down,
or it's gonna be absolutely nothing.
You don't have to tell on yourself, I done got you.
I'm curious, why, I mean, why you's
gonna set these fires?
I mean, like I said, the one for your, at your house,
you and I both have to agree.
You was probably hard up for money.
You're hard up for money.
But the fire up on Nola Street?
Shaun Johnson: Where's that at?
Sherriff Lipfird: The one up Cawood.
Listen to me.
You went up and set the fire.
You came back and you end up sleeping in the pump house,
staying in the pump house 'cause you and your old lady
were fighting that night.
I don't know what she was on your *** for.
But you know how, you know how wives are,
they're always "don't doing" you about something.
Shaun Johnson: I don't remember.
Sherriff Lipfird: Ok yeah, I know the feeling ok?
Everybody's is, ok?
Now that's pretty good details, don't you think?
For me to know that you actually slept
in the pump house?
Shaun Johnson: I did sleep in the pump house,
quite a few times.
Sherriff Lipfird: Ok, ok, I'm just curious why.
Other people's property, your stuff, I don't care.
That's your business.
Shaun Johnson: I don't know.
Sherriff Lipfird: You don't know?
I mean if you don't know you don't know, cool.
If you don't know, you don't know.
Shaun Johnson: Uh-huh.
Sherriff Lipfird: He would not come all the
way through and, and just actually give me a
full detailed confession.
But with the evidence I've had from his co-conspirators
or people that he's actually confided in,
confessed in, to, I've got, still got a good solid case.
Sgt. Southerland: Stand up.
Turn around, put your hands on the door.
Sherriff Lipfird: We've got individuals that uh,
actually participated or actually had witnessed,
and other individuals that he actually just sat
and started confessing to.
And he told them particulars of certain fires.
You know that's kind of hard to dispute that.
How do you know something that only the
fire department knows?
Or only a few investigators know?
How do you know these things, if you wasn't there?
NARRATOR: WITH THE COMBINED CHARGES,
THE SUSPECTED ARSONIST IS FACING UP TO
25 YEARS IN PRISON.
NABBING THE ARSON SUSPECT WAS A TEAM EFFORT,
BUT ONE OFFICER IN PARTICULAR PLAYED A KEY
ROLE IN ENSURING THE FOLKS OF HARLAN
SLEEP BETTER AT NIGHT.
Sherriff Lipfird: Uh, let me ask you a question.
You know how *** I am over uniforms.
Danny Lewis: Um-hm.
Sherriff Lipfird: Don't you all think it would
be stupid for a man to wear, well like,
for instance Miron.
Say he's in his Class A uniform,
and he's got sergeant's stripes on their sleeve
and lieutenant's bars on their collar.
Would that look pretty stupid?
Sgt. Southerland: Why would, why would you do it?
Why?
Danny Lewis: Why would you have sergeant?
Sherriff Lipfird: I don't know,
you tell me why you'd do it Lieutenant.
Sgt. Southerland: Wow, that's pretty awesome!
Deputy Brewer: Lieutenant, congratulations!
Sgt. Southerland: Thank you, why?
Sherriff Lipfird: You've earned it.
You need, you need to be part of the command staff.
Sgt. Southerland: Wow!
Kind of shocked me, I didn't expect it.
Uh it's, it's a good shock.
But, you know I don't consider myself
the best cop by far.
But I do put everything I've got into it and
it's nice to know that it's appreciated.
It's like the pat on the back you,
you always want at a job but you never get.
But I got it, so I'm happy.
Wow, I don't know what to say.
Sherriff Lipfird: Well, you've earned it.
Think about it.
Every time I've asked you to do something,
you get it done.
Sgt. Southerland: I don't know how to put it in words,
but that's; that's pretty awesome.
That come with a pay increase?
Sherriff Lipfird: Yeah.
Sgt. Southerland: Oh!
Ok, hey, yeah, I like it!
Sherriff Lipfird: Miron showed leadership.
Miron has shown that, uh, he has the best interest
of the office as a whole at heart.
He's a good leader.
He's very knowledgeable.
Um, it only makes sense to put him in a uh,
in a command position.
Now let's get to work.
Fight crime and the forces of evil.
Sgt. Southerland: Let's do it!
Fluffy: Let's go