Arson destroys Restaurant

A large “family style” restaurant suffered extensive fire damage including partial roof collapse. Our investigation, paralleling the public safety investigation, quickly established that the building's sprinkler system had been shut off, a gas valve inside the building had been opened before the fire allowing the free flow of fuel gas into the building's interior and an ignitable liquid had been poured in several areas.

Uniquely, our investigation established that the building had been key entered and a series of doors which were regularly locked at all times were found unlocked and propped open after the fire. These open doors would allow the fire to extend to virtually all parts of the building increasing the probability of a total loss.

We engaged the service of a forensic locksmith and created a “matrix” of employees with keys to specific locksets. We were able to prove these doors were “key operated.”

We also established that there were only three persons on the staff with the keys needed to open each unlocked door. Two had solid alibis; the third was the owner.

Confronted with the evidence he withdrew his $1 million claim.