A Douglas man, previously convicted of hate crimes and arson, Eric Duane Ridenour, faces over three decades behind bars following a conviction for burning two churches. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Arizona, the 58-year-old was sentenced to 438 months in prison by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash. In July last year, Ridenour was found guilty of six counts related to arson and hate crimes emanating from incidents that took place on May 22, 2023.
Ridenour targeted Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church and First Presbyterian Church, which were part of a unique intersection in Douglas, Arizona known as Church Square, the churches, served as beacons for multiple denominations in the historic district. The conviction came after it was established that Ridenour set the fires due to his aversion towards the churches' practice of including women and the LGBTQ community in leadership roles, his arrest occurred on May 23, 2023.
“Defendant burned a church because he disagreed with its position that women and LGBTQ individuals may serve as ministers, and then he burned a second church, in the same historic square, for the same reason. Destruction of religious institutions is abhorrent to our Constitution. I add my voice to the prayers for healing in the Douglas community,” United States Attorney Gary Restaino was quoted in the U.S. Attorney's Office release.
The ATF and FBI played integral roles in the investigation and prosecution. Brendan Iber, ATF Phoenix Special Agent in Charge, reinforced the agency's dedication to safeguarding American rights,“ATF is dedicated to protecting the rights of all Americans. We strongly share the same concerns of United States Attorney Restaino and the community. The sentencing of Ridenour is a testament to the collaborative work between all agencies involved in this investigation,” per the aforementioned statement. In coordination with these agencies, the FBI's Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Jose A. Perez vowed to continue efforts against hate crimes, saying "We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and ensure those who perpetrate such acts of hate are held accountable," as noted by the same press release.
In line with the Department's United Against Hate initiative started by Attorney General Merrick Garland, the Office has amplified its role in community engagement and increased prosecutions in civil rights violations, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office statement. The case, titled CR 23-00908-TUC-SHR, was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Douglas Police Department, with Assistant U.S. Attorneys Austin Fenwick, Ben Goldberg, and Adam Rossi leading the prosecution efforts.
