Daily Commentary – Thursday, December 27, 2012 – William Spenger, 62, Lures Firefighters Kills Two Injures Two

• Set fire to his home then planned an ambush of the firemen when they arrived

Two Firefighters Shot Dead, Two Wounded Responding to Fire in Webster, NY (UPDATE: William Spengler ID’d as Shooter, Found Dead, Suicide )

Two firefighters have been shot dead after having responded to a fire early Monday morning in Webster, NY, a suburb of Rochester.  It is being reported that two other firefighters have been shot and are in guarded condition at Strong Memorial Hospital. Fire Marshal Rob Boutillier stated that the blaze was allowed to spread to two other houses until the area is secured. The gun man is still at large.

A gunman shot and killed at least two firefighters responding to a house fire at a Rochester suburb early Monday.

Two other firefighters were in guarded condition at Strong Memorial Hospital with gunshot wounds, according to a hospital spokeswoman, The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reported.

The gunman was still at large at mid-morning. Fire Marshal Rob Boutillier said the blaze was allowed to spread to two other houses until the area is secured.

WHEC-TV reported that by mid-morning firefighters were attacking the blaze, which had spread to three homes and a vehicle.

Could some one have purposely started the fire in order to shoot and kill the fireman who showed to put the blaze out? Sadly, that could be the case.

UPDATE I: CNN …

Authorities believe one or more shooters took aim at the firefighters after they left their vehicles, Police Chief Gerald Pickering said.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo described it as a “horrific shooting” and a “senseless act of violence.”

“Volunteer firefighters and police officers were injured and two were taken from us as they once again answered the call of duty,” he said in a statement.

It was unclear whether there were any suspects.

UPDATE II:  Gunman Identified as 62 year old and ex-con William Spengler. The ex-con who served 17 years in prison for the murder of his grandmother was found dead of an apparent suicide. As early suspected, Spengler set a trap for the firemen and then gunned them down when they appeared on the scene to put out the fire that was set.

A man who served nearly 17 years in jail for killing his grandmother set a house and car on fire this morning in upstate New York and then began shooting at emergency personnel who showed up, killing two firefighters, police said.

In all, William Spengler, 62, shot four firefighters, killing two and severely injuring two more after setting his “trap,” police said.

An off-duty police officer from Greece, N.Y., who responded to the scene early in the morning of Christmas Eve also was injured today.

“It was a trap,” said Webster, N.Y., Police Chief Gerald L. Pickering, “set by Mr. Spengler who laid in wait and shot first responders.”

Casey James Fury Faces Life in Prison … Sub Worker at Portmouth Naval Shipyard Set Fire Abord Nuclear Submarine so He could Leave Early

Are you kidding me?

24 year old Casey James Fury faced life in prison after the civilian sub worker set two fires, one aboard the nuclear attack sub Miami at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, ME. Fury faces two counts of arson. The fire caused an estimated $400 million in damages. Fury claimed he committed these acts because he had anxiety and wanted to get out of work early. It would appear that in the future, he is not going to have to worry about that work thing, as for getting anxious when in small prison cells, that’s another issue.

Navy investigators have determined that a civilian laborer set a fire that caused $400 million in damage to a nuclear-powered submarine because he had anxiety and wanted to get out of work early.

Casey James Fury of Portsmouth, N.H., faces up to life in prison if convicted of two counts of arson in the fire aboard the USS Miami attack submarine while it was in dry dock May 23 and a second blaze outside the sub on June 16.

Fury set the second fire after getting anxious over a situation with his ex-girlfriend.

Fury said he set the second fire after getting anxious over a text-message exchange with an ex-girlfriend about a man she had started seeing, according to the affidavit. He wanted to leave work early, so he took some alcohol wipes and set them on fire outside the submarine.

Daily Commentary – Tuesday, February 7, 2012 – Does the System Bear any Responsibility For the Deaths of the Powell Children?

• Should child services have known that Josh Powell might murder his children and kill himself?

Daily Commentary – Tuesday, February 7, 2012 Play Download

Josh Powell, Husband & Prime Suspect in Case of Missing Susan Powell … Kills His Two Children in Murder-Suicide … All Die in Fire During a Supervised Visit

Ok, who thinks that Josh Powell is guilty now in the disappearance of missing 28 year old Utah mom Susan Powell?  The final words of a sick, twisted killer … I’m Sorry, Goodbye.

Susan Powell and sons, 7 year old Charles &  5 year old Braden … Rest in Peace

The case of missing Susan Powell just went from the sad to the horrendous and horrific.Josh Powell, the prime suspect in the disappearance of his wife Susan Powell who went missing in 2009, has killed his two children in a murder-suicide, setting his home on fire. The children were dropped off by a social worker for a supervised visit. Josh Powell then slammed the door closed not letting the social worker in the home and then did the unthinkable.  There was an explosion and fire engulfed the home killing all inside. Authorities are saying that this was not an accident.

“I just heard a huge explosion,” neighbor Ryan Mickle says. “It shook my house and then I ran outside and the whole house was on fire almost immediately.”

Inside, officials found the bodies of Powell and his two young sons, seven-year-old Charles and five-year-old Braden.

“This wasn’t an accident,” Ed Troyer, of the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, declared. “This was Josh Powell, who we believe killed his kids and himself … dead in the fire.”

About ten minutes before the fire started, Powell reportedly sent his attorney an email that read, “I’m sorry. Goodbye.” Then, just minutes after his children were dropped off by a social worker for a supervised visit, the explosion occurred.

“He grabbed the kids,” said Troyer, “locked her out of the house, and immediately, the house went up in flames. … We believe that the house fire went up so fast that accelerants were used.”

As reported at CNN, Josh Powell sent a three-word e-mail to his attorney, “I’m sorry. Goodbye.”

This should make everyone think twice about any type of child visitation to a parent who is accused or under suspicion of a crime when it comes to a missing person or murder. Maybe all supervised visits should now be in public places and not in homes. Our hearts and prayers go to the families who have to cope with this heinous act.

Read more at Blink on Crime and go to Scared Monkeys Missing Persons Forum: Susan Powell to see updates and provide comments.

UPDATE I: Could the Courts have done more to protect the Powell boys, 7 year old Charles &  5 year old Braden?

Ya think? Of course sadly the questions come a bit late now, don’t they? One would think that in the future, parents who are prime suspects in serious crimes like missing persons and murders that they either would not be allowed visitation at all or any supervision would be in a public location or controlled environment.