Craig Daily Press / ‘No one is calling’

Increased reward money hasn’t yielded new tips in arson probe

August 8, 2008

Continental Divide Insurance is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for the Nov. 25, 2007, Country Mall fire at 356 Ranney St. Crimestoppers is also offering a reward up to $1,000.

Anyone with information is to call Commander Jerry DeLong of the Craig Police Department at 826-2360.

Craig — An increased reward hasn’t offered any new information about last year’s Country Mall fire, Craig Police Department officers said Thursday.

The Country Mall, 356 Ranney St., was destroyed Nov. 25, 2007, causing thousands of dollars in damages and leaving various local businesses without a place of operation. An investigation revealed the fire’s cause was arson.

There have been no arrests in the case.

In May, Continental Divide Insurance, the company that insured the building, increased the reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction from $10,000 to $25,000.

Since then, no tips have come in, police said.

“There has been absolutely no information surface that would lead us closer … which is really highly unusual for that kind of a reward,” Craig Police Chief Walt Vanatta said.

“We’ve got nothing,” Sgt. John Forgay said. “No one is calling.”

Vanatta said all “active leads” in the investigation have been exhausted. The case remains open and active from the standpoint that police would pursue any new information, the police chief said.

To date, a “substantial amount of time” and resources have been poured into the fire investigation, Vanatta said.

“It’s safe to say there were several hundred hours put into it,” he said.

Police speculate that one person was involved in starting the fire and has been “smart enough not to talk about it,” or someone from outside the area was behind it and is no longer here.

Typically, arson cases are difficult, Vanatta said.

“Arson cases, from a solvability factor, are pretty easy to determine it was caused by arson,” he said. “Proving who did it is a whole different issue.”

Despite the fire happening eight months ago, and the standstill status of the investigation, police aren’t ready to believe the case never will be solved.

“I never pick odds,” the police chief said. “You just never know what might happen. … A lot of it takes community involvement.”

CrimeStoppers also is offering a reward up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction, adding to the pot of available reward money.

Anyone with information relating to the Country Mall arson is to call Commander Jerry DeLong of the Craig Police Department at 826-2360.