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Missouri Library District Sues ArsonistThe Springfield–Greene County (Mo.) Library District is suing a man who set the main branch on fire in January 2004, causing $500,000 in damages. Jared Rupp of Springfield had been sentenced to seven years in prison last July for second-degree arson and second-degree burglary in connection with the fire.Library Executive Director Annie Busch said in the May 11 Springfield News-Leader that the arson was a “particularly unusual case” that was not done in anger against the library or its staff. Rupp told investigators that he set fire to the library in an attempt to destroy a library computer on which he posted chat-room messages that referred to a previous arson. Busch said the library recently finished replacing more than 10,000 water- and flame-damaged volumes. Springfield attorney Jerry Reynolds told the News-Leader, “Even if there is no recovery at all, [the lawsuit] shows how serious it is when someone takes public property and intentionally destroys it like that.” Posted May 13, 2005. |
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