A fire in a pasadena, california, hardware store killed four people, including a 2yearold child. The novel reads like a diary of the california arsons. Orr was the fire captain and arson investigator for the glendale fire. Exfireman john leonard orrs book about serial arsonist led to. From 1984 to 1991, an arsonist known as the pillow pyro ignited approximately 2,000 fires across southern california. Local reporters book tells a fiery tale pasadena now. The shocking story of arson investigator john leonard orr began in 1984. He was, for a much longer time, the most prolific serial arsonist of the 20th century. Instead, he has been convicted of arson and his book was a key piece of evidence against him. A california arson investigator was regarded as a sage. The script is clumsy and illformed, and plays a foolish trick on the audience regarding two of the characters, the arsonist and john orr. His occupation was a firefighter and arson investigator. Federal prosecutors this week were pondering the future of their arson case against glendale fire capt. On several occasions, film and television have also presented the story of orr s arson activities and eventual arrest and criminal conviction.
John orr the pillow pyro fire captain on a fire spree. John orr is the most famous because he is an arson investigator. That an arson investigator would be an arsonist is strange enough, but to add another bizarre note to the incident, orr had written a novel, points of origin, which centered on a serial arsonist who was also a fireman. John orr 1984 south pasedena fire born april 26 1949 john orr is currently serving a life sentence with 20 years in prison without the possibility of parole. I read my dads novel and the joseph wambaugh book fire lover. As i drove to the home of john orr a widely respected arson educator and investigator with the glendale fire department the air held a deep brown tint. He was convicted of serial arson and four counts of murder. Consequently, campuzanno and two of his colleagues met with casey, obtained a copy of the fingerprint that casey had recovered, and matched it to john leonard orr on april 17, 1991.
Orr was the fire captain and arson investigator for the glendale fire department in southern california. John orr was arrested for arson in 1991 for intentionally setting other fires. Join the investigation as lead character, arson investigator phil langtry, searches every clue to uncover a serial arsonist. Forensic files season 9, episode 21 point of origin. True crime writing collaborators frank girardot and lori. From the mid1980s to 1991, a wave of arsons swept through. The book fire lover tells the story of a psychopath who is both a pyromaniac and an arson investigator.
That makes joseph wambaughs truecrime book about him a notable departure from books celebrating. Exfireman john leonard orrs book about serial arsonist. Point of origin book john orr administration of criminal justice act 2015 pdf download, written by former fire captain john l. Orr then became a serious arson suspect and the subject of investigation and surveillance for several months. The book became the basis of an hbo film, point of origin, starring ray liotta. John leonard orr is a convicted serial arsonist who was once a fire captain and arson investigator for the glendale fire department in southern california. John orr is regarded as among the most prolific american arsonists of. John leonard orr after the trial, and legacy trial, legacy. John orr john orr was a former fire captain and arson investigator for the glendale fire department in southern california, and to much surprise, a serial arsonist.
The proceeds of the sale go to remuneration of the damages his victims suffered, as is common on books by criminals. He killed ada deal, 50, her 2yearold grandson, matthew troidl, carolyn kraus, 26, and jimmy cetina, 17 in a fire at a hardware store, and is suspected by the fbi of setting more than 2000 fires before he was caught. A glendale home destroyed in a fire started by john orr in 1990. The story of john orr has been chronicled by bestselling true crime author joseph wambaugh in a book titled fire lover. But john orr, arson investigator for the nearby glendale fire department, strongly disagreed. Glendale fire department serial arsonist john leonard orr, a former fire. Incredibly, he was a captain with the glendale fire departments arson unit at the time of his arrest. He publishes a few articles in industry publications, which makes him an authority in the eyes of some.
Within a day of fire, john orr met with karen berry, who was the sisterinlaw of one of the terms of fire, and he expressed his opinion that this, in fact, was an arson fire. The evidence against him included his fingerprint on an incendiary device, his presence at another very suspicious fire, and transcript descriptions of his travels in his. The former fire captain and arson investigator john orr has been described by some as one of the worst arsonists in the 21st century. This confused and confusing movie tries to be based both on the real case of the worst serial arsonist in california history, and on a book by john orr, a former arson investigator for the city of glendale. On several occasions, film and television have also presented the story of orrs arson activities and eventual arrest and criminal conviction.
Join the investigation as lead character, arson investigator phil l. John leonard orr born april 26, 1949 is an american former firefighter, novelist, and convicted arsonist. Orr join the investigation as lead character, arson investigator phil prime book box points of origin. The irony is that the firebug john orr was someone entrusted to protect the public against fire. Playing with fire 2002, novel do you know something we dont. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.
Firefighter and arson investigator john orr of california s glendale fire department had a way of showing up very quickly at the site of a fire and going right to the point of origin. Orr had originally wanted to be a police officer, but had failed the entrance exam. John leonard orr is a serial arsonist and mass murderer. His book is about a man that is a firefighter and a arson invesigator.
That makes joseph wambaughs truecrime book about him a notable departure from books. Truecrime book chronicles south pasadena arson at oles. This scintillating story was confiscated from the authors home at the time of his arrest. Arson investigators believe the book chronicles real acts of arson due to similarities with fires they believe orr himself had set. Chief arson investigator in california town was also the. My firefighter father john orr got sexual thrills from his murderous. Very good nonfiction book about a despicable man, john orr. Trevor willis and jordan griffen john orr was born on april 26, 1949. John orr tries but fails at becoming a police officer. Married five times, orr secretly craved the attention of others. My father john orr got sexual thrills from his murderous arson.
John orr was considered one of the most successful arson investigators in the late 1970s to early 1980s in the region because of his uncanny ability to discover how the fires were started. But arson investigator john orr insisted that the fire was deliberately set. John leonard orr is the most prolific serial arsonist in californias history. John leonard orr was a serial arsonist who killed four people in a southern california hardware store fire. From 84 to 91, he was a captain with the glendale police. Like most psychopaths, john orr is brought down by his own. The aspiring writer writes a novel about an arson investigator who is also an arsonist. John leonard orr was a wellrespected arson investigator in southern california he conducted fire investigation classes, was active with the. Fire captain john leonard orr was also an arsonist who. He worked as both a fire captain and arson investigator for the glendale fire department in southern california. Many believe it parallels his own activities while working as the fire captain and lead arson investigator for the glendale fire department. John orr, who faces charges in a series of blazes, has already started poking holes in the federal case. Orr had originally wanted to be a police officer, but had failed the. But in a bizarre twist, a novel that he wrote called points of origin offered hints.
It was later discovered this uncanny ability was because he was setting the fires. Lori orr kovach, daughter of serial arsonist and murderer john orr. Instead, he joined the glendale fire department as an arson. The story of john orr has been chronicled by bestselling true crime author joseph wambaugh in a book entitled fire lover. He was a respected authority and often in the press. John leonard orr, the arsonist in chief 1980s and 1990s.
Orr after a judge ruled that they cannot use a key piece of evidence. This book is a barely fictionalized autobiography of arsonist and murderer john orr. What makes this even more shocking is that john orr was a fire captain and arson investigator for the glendale california fire department. John leonard orr was a wellrespected arson investigator in southern california he conducted fire investigation classes, was active with the first investigation team, wrote articles for magazines and often spoke on local tv when a fire broke out. Of the multiple fires that were set, one of them resulted in death. Orr had originally wanted to be a police officer, but had failed his entrance exam. It includes a arsonist act of a large hardware store that killed a toddler and his grandmother. The signature gadget would convince arson investigators that they were dealing with a serial arsonist out of controland eventually convince a jury that john orr was guilty of murder. In the parking lot of oles, the sisterinlaw of carolyn krause, who was a communityservice officer for the glendale police department, saw a blue dodge that belonged to the glendale arson unit, and standing by the car were john orr and his partner, police officer dennis wilson. In it, a firefighterturnedarsonist is aroused by watching things burn. After his arrest in 1991 and subsequent conviction for a series of other arson fires not related to the 1984 oles fire, orr. Orr hoped the novel would be his ticket to the money and attention that he craved.