Denton Man Charged with Arson in Fires Resulting in Elderly Couple's Death and Property Damage

A Denton man has been charged with four counts of arson, including two first-degree felonies, in connection with a string of fires that left an elderly couple dead and caused significant property damage, as per an announcement from the city's law enforcement agencies. According to the City of Denton's official statement, 36-year-old John Howard Ore allegedly set multiple fires between December and January, one of which resulted in the deaths of 103-year-old Dante Bassi and 83-year-old Marilyn Bradley-Bassi.

The investigation, a collaborative effort between the Denton Fire Department and Denton Police Department, uncovered that the lethal fire took the lives of the Houston Place residents. On the fateful night of December 18, firefighting teams extracted the couple from their blazing home, only for them to later succumb to their injuries in the hospital. Before this, on December 17, a blaze at a restaurant in the 6400 block of I-35 caused significant damage but fortunately, did not injure anyone.

Another incident in the arson spree occurred on January 21, when the Denton Fire Department extinguished a small fire at a daycare located on W. Oak Street. Surveillance footage captured a man, later identified as Ore, breaking a window and starting the fire. Fortunately, this instance resulted in no injuries. Evidence from each crime scene showed similarities in the ignition method, leading investigators to suspect Ore's involvement in all incidents.

Ore was initially arrested on January 23 on two counts of Arson related to the restaurant and daycare fires, with evidence pointing toward his responsibility for all three blazes. In a grim conclusion, medical examiners from Tarrant County and Dallas County ruled the deaths of Bassi and Bradley-Bassi as homicide, which led to two additional warrants being secured by Denton PD and FD for Arson Causing Serious Bodily Injury or Death. Ore remains in custody at the Denton County Jail, with a bond set for his release at a steep $2.1 million.