Investigation into radio arson continues, most employees laid off
Published 12:00 am Tuesday, August 20, 2002
After a state fire marshal ruled the torching of a local radio station’s transmitter was a result of arson, local authorities continue their investigation.
According to Dallas County Sheriff Harris Huffman, one Sheriff’s deputy has been assigned to help investigate the case of arson at WBFZ-FM105.3.
But Huffman’s deputy is only one of a number of people working on the arson. The Alabama Bureau of Investigation and an investigator with the state fire marshal’s office are both continuing the search for a suspect in the arson.
State Sen. Hank Sanders, D-Selma, held a press conference last week in Montgomery to discuss the fire with statewide press. During his statement, Sanders offered a $5,000 reward for anyone who could lead authorities to the culprit in the case.
State Fire Marshal John Robison would not offer many details of the case. He said investigators have determined that the fire was an arson, but would say little more than that.
Huffman also said his deputies would continue working with other law enforcement authorities to find a suspect in the case. Huffman indicated there has been progress in that search.
The arson stirred debate locally because of the timing and the victims involved.
Sanders, along with his wife, Faya Toure, and attorney J.L. Chestnut, are all investors in the radio station. One flyer distributed in Selma said the station had been sabotaged off the air the day before the June 4 primary elections and again before the June 25 run-off elections.
This is not the first time a fire has been tied to elections and the Sanders’ law firm. During the 2000 mayoral election, a car was set on fire in front of Chestnut, Sanders and Sanders.
To date, there have been no arrests in the car fire that garnered national media attention.
Randy Williams, an employee of both WVFG-FM107.5 and FM105.3 &045;&045; both sister stations &045;&045; said FM105.3 has not returned to the air and didn’t know when that would happen.
Meanwhile, Williams said he believed all employees at the FM105.3 station had been laid off.