CRAWFORD CO.—Sources indicate that a LaMotte Township firefighter has not only been arrested and charged with arson, but that he has confessed to setting as many as 11 fires.
Craig A. Fuller (also known as ‘Whitey’), 31, of rural Palestine was taken into custody 11:34 p.m. Thursday, May 16, leaving the scene his fellow firefighters had been called to.
When firefighters arrived they found a confinement hog operation near Trimble completely engulfed.
Crawford County Deputy Jason Langley, one of the first lawmen to arrive on scene, saw tire tracks leading away from the barn.
Deputy Gabe Lowrance saw a vehicle leaving the area and when he stopped it took Fuller into custody.
Sources told Disclosure early on in the investigation that Fuller was a prime suspect in at least two others fires, one near Heathsville and another near Flat Rock, as featured in a brief article in the current edition of Disclosure.
Firefighters were on scene until after 3:30 a.m. Friday morning.
Preliminary figures from fire officials put the estimated damage at more than $300,000.
Owner Scott Long said it could cost as much as $618,000 just to replace the structure.
Troubled past
Sources close to the family say that Fuller has had a troubled past including losing at least two jobs over alcohol-related issues, one at the Marathon Refinery in Robinson and another as a maintenance man at an area nursing home.
The family source indicted that Fuller was only married a few months in June of 2006 when he got drunk and beat his wife, Amanda who subsequently left him.
They later remarried and had two children and were divorced again in March of 2012.
Family sources claim that Fuller has often been suicidal and on at least one occasion threatened to kill his ex-wife.
Family reaction
“The family is just sick over this,” a source told Disclosure. “They know Whitney was having problems but had no idea thing had gotten this bad. They still love him but hate what he did.
“They are thankful that nobody was hurt.”
Another source say that Fuller family members went out and joined in the volunteer efforts to clean up after the fire and round-up roaming pigs that wondered off the night of the fire.
Another source close to the family said that relatives are glad he is behind bars and hope he gets the help he needs.
“They also so hope that none of his friends bond him out,” said one source. “They are afraid he will either jump bail or kill himself.”
Fuller is being held at the Crawford County Jail on $10,025 cash bond.
The Fuller family themselves are considered respectable farmers, some even raising pigs themselves.
Other unsolved fires include one at the Methodist Church in Robinson on Christmas Eve, two oilfield powerhouses with antique equipment in them, a weekend lake home, one unoccupied residence and several barns.