Duck Hunters Set Blinds on Fire, Arrested for Aggravated Arson
Posted: Dec 6, 2011 12:04 PM
Updated: Dec 12, 2011 11:57 AM
Bossier Sheriff Larry Deen says that two men were arrested on three counts of aggravated arson in connection with three duck blind fires.
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David Miller |
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Shane Earnest |
David James Miller, 30, of the 200 block of Johnnie Drive in Shreveport, and Shane Kendall Earnest, 30, of the 5300 block of Lucerne Lane in Bossier City, were each arrested and charged with three counts of aggravated arson. Earnest was arrested Friday afternoon and Miller turned himself in yesterday.
In October the Bossier Sheriff's Department was contacted by a man stating that someone had intentionally burned down his and two friend's duck blinds near River Bend Marina in Elm Grove. The extent of the damage totaled $4000.
The victims stated that a rival hunter, Miller, had a blind near theirs, and they had verbal altercations with him during the last duck season regarding his hunting practices. Detectives investigated the matter and interviewed several of Miller's friends and fellow hunters. During the course of the investigation, detectives learned that Miller and Earnest had burned the blinds in late September while out bow fishing at River Bend Marina. Miller then bragged about it to his friends and laughed about how high the flames had been. It was also learned that Miller had threatened to burn the blinds of several hunters in the past and threatens to do so on a regular basis. Miller has also been previously arrested and convicted in Caddo Parish for criminal property damage to a hunting camp of a rival hunter.
During the month of September when the fires were set, Louisiana was under a statewide burn ban and experiencing extremely dry conditions. By setting these large, uncontrolled fires, Miller and Earnest were endangering the lives of nearby campers, wildlife and the community, thus the "aggravated" wording was added to the charge.
Both men were arrested and booked into the Bossier Maximum Security Facility. Their bonds were set at $75,000 each.