Case 280
The Stockton Arsonist
*** Content warnings: Animal cruelty ***
On a hot summer’s day in 1989, a father and son travelling through Stockton, California, discover a VHS tape left by the side of a road. When they take it home and decide to watch it, they make a disturbing discovery. The tape contains footage of a house burning to the ground and was apparently filmed by the arsonist who lit the fire.
When investigators looking into the tape hit a series of dead ends, they enlist the help of popular television series Unsolved Mysteries, and the case becomes known as that of the infamous Stockton Arsonist.
CREDITS
EPISODE
Research & writing – Erin Munro
Creative direction – Milly Raso
Narration – Anonymous Host
MUSIC
‘Flatline intro’ and ‘Come play with me’ intro and outro – www.dl-sounds.com
Audio production – Mike Migas
Scoring – Mike Migas and Andrew Joslyn
OTHER
Logo and website design – Paulina Szymanska
PREMIUM
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RESOURCES
NEWSPAPER ARCHIVES
Arsonist transforms anti-growth view into fiery message on SF peninsula – The Sacramento Bee
Suspected arsonist leaves video clues in house fire – The Danville News
Hunt narrows for site of videotaped arson fire – The Sacramento Bee
ONLINE ARTICLES
Video tape believed to reveal satanic arson fire – UPI
The Redwood City Arsonist – twitter.com/g3thaunted
California in Brief: Teens arrested in videotaped blaze – Los Angeles Times
Suspected videotape arsonists arrested – UPI