History of John Leonard Orr in Timeline

John Leonard Orr, an American convicted serial arsonist and former firefighter, served as a fire captain and arson investigator in Glendale, California. He was convicted of serial arson and four counts of murder, believed to have ignited nearly 2,000 fires during a 30-year period, predominantly between 1984 and 1991. This makes him the most prolific serial arsonist in American history.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals

1971: Discharge from the Military

In 1971, John Orr was discharged from the United States Air Force after his enlistment. Following this, he sought employment with the Los Angeles Police Department but failed the psychological exam.

1974: Employment with Glendale Fire Department

In 1974, John Orr secured employment with the Glendale Fire Department, one of the lowest paying departments in Los Angeles County, after studying fire science and working day jobs.

October 10, 1984: Ole's Home Center Fire

On October 10, 1984, a major fire occurred at an Ole's Home Center hardware store in South Pasadena, California, resulting in the destruction of the store and the deaths of four people. While other investigators declared the cause to be an electrical fire, Orr insisted it was arson.

1984: Ole's Fire Forensic Re-evaluation

After John Orr's arrest, fire investigators began a forensic re-evaluation of the Ole's fire that happened in 1984. They found a highly detailed description of a similar fire in his novel Points of Origin.

Points of Origin

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1984: Start of Estimated Arson Fires

Federal ATF agent Mike Matassa believes that John Orr set nearly 2,000 fires between 1984 and 1991.

1984: Arson Spree Begins

In 1984, John Leonard Orr, a fire captain and arson investigator, began an arson spree that would last until 1991. He is believed to have set nearly 2,000 fires during that time.

1984: Arson fires dating back to 1984

John Orr was indicted for arson fires stretching back from 1990 to 1984. The lead prosecutor offered John a deal where he would take the death penalty off the table if John accepted a sentence of life without parole and confessed all his acts of arson.

January 1987: Fire Investigator Convention Arsons

In January 1987, suspicious fires were set in Bakersfield during and after a convention for fire investigators from California held in Fresno. Captain Marvin G. Casey of the Bakersfield Fire Department suspected that a fire investigator from the Los Angeles area was responsible.

March 1989: Arsons at Fire Investigator Conference

During March 1989, a series of arsons were committed along the California coast in conjunction with a conference of fire investigators in Pacific Grove, California. Orr was a suspect, but was cleared when his fingerprints didn't match those recovered from the scene.

1990: Arson Fires in Southern California

In late 1990 and early 1991, a series of arson fires broke out in southern California. This led to the formation of the Pillow Pyro Task Force to apprehend the arsonist.

1990: Arson fires dating up to 1990

John Orr was indicted on four counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances and 21 counts of arson for fires stretching from 1984 to 1990.

March 29, 1991: Circulation of Arsonist's Modus Operandi

On March 29, 1991, Tom Campuzanno of the Los Angeles Arson Task Force circulated a flier at a meeting describing the modus operandi of a suspected serial arsonist. Scott Baker of the California State Fire Marshal's Office connected this to arsons investigated by Casey, leading to the eventual matching of fingerprints to Orr.

April 17, 1991: Orr's Fingerprint Matched

On April 17, 1991, John Orr was identified as a suspect after his fingerprint was matched to one recovered from an arson crime scene. This was accomplished with the help of improved fingerprint technology and a database of law enforcement applicants.

May 1991: Discovery of Tracking Device

In May 1991, while leaving a fire conference in San Luis Obispo, California, John Orr discovered a tracking device in his personal vehicle and rushed to a nearby police explosives range, thinking it was a bomb. He was told it was a hoax.

December 4, 1991: Arrest of John Orr

On December 4, 1991, John Orr was arrested and charged with arson for a series of fires not related to the 1984 South Pasadena Ole's fire, after being investigated and watched for several months.

1991: End of Estimated Arson Fires

Federal ATF agent Mike Matassa believes that John Orr set nearly 2,000 fires between 1984 and 1991.

1991: End of Arson Spree

In 1991, John Leonard Orr's arson spree came to an end after nearly 2,000 fires. He was later convicted of serial arson and four counts of murder.

July 31, 1992: Conviction on Arson Charges

On July 31, 1992, John Orr was convicted of three counts of arson in federal court in Fresno and sentenced to 30 years in prison.

March 24, 1993: Guilty Plea in Los Angeles

On March 24, 1993, John Orr pleaded guilty to three more counts of arson in Los Angeles, after reaching a plea agreement. This agreement saw him paroled from federal prison in 2002.

November 21, 1994: Indictment on Murder and Arson Charges

On November 21, 1994, John Orr was indicted on four counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances and 21 counts of arson for fires stretching from 1984 to 1990. The prosecutor opted to seek the death penalty.

1994: Conviction Affirmed

In 1994, a federal appeals court affirmed John Orr's conviction on arson charges.

November 14, 1995: Nova Episode Airs

On November 14, 1995, an episode of the PBS science series Nova titled "Hunt for the Serial Arsonist" aired, chronicling the story of John Orr.

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June 25, 1998: Conviction on Murder and Arson Charges

On June 25, 1998, John Orr was convicted on all four murder charges and all but one of the arson counts in a California state court. He was sentenced to four concurrent terms of life without parole for murder, plus an additional 21 years in prison for arson.

March 15, 2000: Sentence Vacated

On March 15, 2000, a California appeals court vacated nine years of John Orr's state sentence, but left the remainder untouched.

2002: Release of 'Point of Origin' film

In 2002, HBO released a film titled Point of Origin, starring Ray Liotta as John Orr. The film's title references Orr's novel, Points of Origin.

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2002: Start of State Sentence

In 2002, John Orr began his state sentence upon his release from federal custody.

2002: Parole from Federal Prison

In 2002, John Orr was paroled from federal prison after a plea agreement. He then began serving his state sentence.

2004: Forensic Files Episode

In 2004, John Orr was profiled in the Forensic Files episode "Point of Origin".

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2019: Deadly Secrets Episode

In 2019, John Orr's story was recounted on Investigation Discovery's Deadly Secrets in the episode "The Fire Inside."

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July 2021: Release of 'Firebug' podcast

In July 2021, truth.media released the true crime podcast Firebug, hosted by filmmaker Kary Antholis, chronicling the investigation into the fires.

2021: Very Scary People Episode

In 2021, John Orr was featured in an episode of HLN's Very Scary People, titled "Firestarter: A Wall of Flames".

2022: MrBallen Podcast Story

In 2022, YouTuber MrBallen told the story of John Orr on his podcast from the perspective of an observer piecing together his actions and final arrest, starting with the Ole's hardware store fire.