Jun 20, 2018

Archived: Teenager Charged With Arson After Burning Historic Melrose Church

A two year old arson case involving a historic Church in Central Minnesota has been solved.

Stearns County Sheriff Don Gudmundson says that a teenager has been charged with first-degree arson after they caused millions of dollars of damage to St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Melrose. The juvenile had confessed to the crime after being interviewed as part of a re-examination of the case by the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office.

The fire was started on March 11, 2016 at around 4:45 p.m. It reportedly started on the west end of the building, where the sacristy is located. The sacristy was heavily damaged. A wood alter made in Germany and installed before the church’s dedication was destroyed. There was also several feet of standing water in the basement along with the wide spread damage from the fire.

The church had been a staple in the Melrose area, with it’s 130-foot towers and a Romanesque Revival architecture style. It was dedicated in 1899 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.

The police are not revealing the identity of the suspect because they were 13 at the time of the crime.

 

Thank You Underwriters

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