Heads and tales: Off-off-off-campus activities

From left, Birmingham college students Matthew Lee Cloyd, Russell Lee DeBusk Jr., Benjamin Nathan Moseley were arrested today in connection with nine Alabama church fires.

We don’t get the punchline, either: “Three college students accused of setting fires at nine small churches in rural Alabama began the arsons as a joke that escalated out of control, according to federal agents who said key evidence came together only hours before the arrests Wednesday. Benjamin Nathan Moseley and Russell Lee DeBusk Jr., both 19 and students at Birmingham-Southern College, and Matthew Lee Cloyd, 20, a student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, were charged in the rash of church fires last month.”
• Agent: Three college students say church arsons started as joke [Associated Press]

Almost infamous: “Russ DeBusk and Ben Moseley, both amateur actors, had dreams of becoming stars as they performed in campus plays at Birmingham-Southern College, appeared in a documentary and began putting together an independent film.”
• Two church fire suspects known as pranksters, aspiring actors [Associated Press]

All you have to do is ask: “On March 8, 2006, Bureau of ATF and Alabama State Fire Marshals Office investigators interviewed Russell Lee DeBusk Jr- DeBusk stated that on the night of February 2, 2006, he, Matt (Cloyd), and Ben (Moseley) traveled to Bibb County, Alabama and were shooting deer. DeBusk stated that they were in Matt’s 4Runner. DeBusk admitted being present at all five Bibb County church fires. DeBusk admitted to kicking in the door on two of the churches. DeBusk stated that approximately two weeks later Ben told him that he (Ben) and Cloyd did four more church fires.”
• Criminal complaint against Cloyd, DeBusk, Moseley [U.S. Department of Justice]

Also:

• God: ‘Three college kids walk into a jail cell …’
• Pastors encourage forgiveness among smoldering ruins
• Muslims: We told you it wasn’t us

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Posted: Wednesday, March 8, 2006, 6:32 pm, in Headlines.
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