Midcoast arson suspect tied to Mississippi fires

ROCKLAND – Investigators announced Monday that they believe they have captured the man responsible not only for setting at least six fires in the midcoast area but also several arson fires in Mississippi.

John Melvin Moody, 51, of Rockland was arrested Friday and charged with setting three minor fires in the area, but admitted to more over the weekend, including a Dec. 24 fire at The Grapes restaurant, formerly known as The Black Pearl, authorities said. Moody also admitted setting several mobile home fires in Mississippi, according to a court document.

Sgt. Joel Davis of the State Fire Marshal’s Office called the arson case “one of the most serious serial cases in quite a long time.”

No deaths have been attributed to any of the fires linked to Moody, authorities said.

“This is a very troubling case,” Rockland Police Chief Alfred Ockenfels said. “Fortunately, there’s no loss of life so far.”

On Monday, Moody appeared in 6th District Court clad in an orange prison uniform.

Judge William Anderson set bail at $25,000 cash on six counts of Class A felony arson, each of which carries a penalty of up to 40 years in prison. Attorney Dale Lavi of Camden was appointed to represent Moody, who remained at the Knox County Jail on Monday night.

Davis said Maine investigators plan to meet with their counterparts in Mississippi about the fires Moody allegedly set in that state. Moody may also be linked to other suspicious fires in Maine, pending further investigation.

The Vinalhaven native has a history of setting fires, authorities said.

In 1978, Moody was convicted of three counts of arson in Massachusetts for which he spent time in a state hospital, Davis said during a press conference near Grapes Restaurant on Rockland’s waterfront.

The owners of Grapes brought to Ockenfels’ attention that some states have an arsonist registry, much like Maine’s sex offender registry, he said. The chief plans to talk with Rep. Edward Mazurek, D-Rockland, about such a program.

According to Davis, Moody has been associated with about 20 fires in Maine and Mississippi.

“John [Moody] was a suspect in the late 1980s” in Maine fires, Davis said. At one point, he moved to Massachusetts, then Washington and Mississippi.

Investigators learned last week that Moody was back in Maine.

An initial interview Thursday with police detectives and fire investigators led to the arrest on Friday.

The fires Moody has been charged with setting are ones near Lindsey Street Apartments, June 6, 1999; trash receptacle fires behind Rock Coast Sport and the Masonic Temple, Oct. 1, 2004; a portable toilet fire next to Bench Dogs, Nov. 16, 2004; a plastic culvert fire at 2 Orange St., Nov. 23, 2004; and a July 24, 2004, fire at an unspecified location.

Investigators are still trying to determine why Moody sets fires, Davis said, noting he has been “setting fires since he was a young adult.”

In Maine, Moody has confessed to starting fires in Rockland, Standish, Portland, Warren and Swanville, Davis said. The fires damaged property, including buildings, automobiles, trailers and woods. He also confessed to starting fires in Biloxi, Miss.

According to an affidavit filed in District Court, Moody admitted to setting several mobile home fires in Mississippi from 2002 to 2003 and other Maine fires in Cumberland, Kennebec, Knox and Waldo counties from 1997 to 1999.

“There’s no real reason why they were picked,” Davis said, referring to specific properties.

Moody, who is presently unemployed, has worked in fast food restaurants and gas stations, according to Davis. He is married and has family living in the midcoast area.

There is no indication Moody was under the influence of drugs or alcohol when he set the fires, Davis said. Investigators are testing physical evidence from the Grapes fire to definitely link Moody to the arson, he said.

“The community should breathe a sigh of relief,” Rockland Fire Chief Charles Jordan Jr. said, suggesting citizens continue to keep their yards lighted at night and debris-free.

State Fire Marshal John Dean praised the efforts of police and fire investigators, saying, “It really takes a team to pull something like this together.”

The assistance of local agencies such as the Rockland police is vital, he said. “They know their community better – that’s invaluable to us.”

Grapes opened last summer where the once popular restaurant The Black Pearl was located. The pier and building are owned by the Waterfront Group. Extensive renovations had been done to the building in recent years by the new owners.

Owner Frank Ferraiolo, who was at the press conference Monday, said he hopes to have the property rebuilt by summer if all goes well with required city approvals.