Officials offer $5K reward in suspected church arsons
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LAUDERDALE COUNTY, Tenn. — Investigators say all leads into two church arsons are burnt out, prompting a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. “I think they’ve exhausted all the information they’ve had and maybe people that they thought maybe should be checked out,” Cowboy Non-Denominational Church Pastor G.K. Ballard said when he heard about the reward Friday. “But I didn’t think they gave up on it at all.” Cowboy Church and Trinity United Methodist Church both were destroyed Jan. 7 by arson. “We’re thrilled the ATF is taking it as seriously as we are and hope the people responsible will be brought to justice,” said Pastor John Bonson with Trinity United Methodist Church. Michael Knight with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said there currently are no suspects in the church fires. “Money always makes people think about doing something about it,” Pastor Ballard said. “Now, they may not care much about the church, but they would love to have that dollar.” Since the devastating fire, both churches have undergone renovations or construction. Ballard said the entire inside of Cowboy Church was ruined by soot. Since January, the church has replaced the carpet, pews, front door and foyer from damages. Trinity United Methodist Church was a total loss. Construction crews have been rebuilding the church since March, according to contractors on site. Joan Parks is the organist at Trinity United Methodist Church. She hopes the suspects are caught,”so someone else won’t have to go through what we’re going through.” Pastor Ballard would like to see the suspect charged — for their own sake. “I would like to see the person be caught and punished for his crime and repent and get his heart right with God and go to heaven with me,” he said. The reward is offered on behalf of The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Nashville Field Division, the Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office, and the Lauderdale and Haywood County sheriff’s offices. Anyone with information is asked to call the ATF at 888-ATF-FIRE or the Tennessee State Fire Marshal’s Office at 800-762-3017.
