MELROSE, Minn. - A teenager has confessed to intentionally setting a Melrose church on fire in March 2016.
The Stearns County Attorney's Office has charged a juvenile, who was 13 years old at the time of the fire with arson in the first degree in Stearns County Juvenile Court.
The court's proceedings are, by law, confidential because of the juvenile’s age at the time of the offense. No further information concerning those proceedings can or will be released.
Lt. Bob Dickhaus of the Stearns County Sheriff's Office says the teen apparently had underlying anger issues, and that investigators knew he was a suspect early on. He maintains it wasn’t until they reviewed all witness statements and re interviewed the teen that they managed to get a confession from him.
For 22 months following the March 11, 2016 fire Melrose police worked the case relentlessly without identifying a suspect. In January of 2018 the department asked the Stearns County Sheriff's Office for assistance reviewing the file. Sheriff's investigators re-interviewed witnesses and put fresh eyes on evidence, and eventually a juvenile was brought in for questioning. At that time the 15-year-old confessed to setting the church fire.
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"Any unsolved crime produces a sense of unease in communities," asserted Stearns County Sheriff Don Gudmundson. "I know the arson of the church has left an indelible mark on the entire area... it is our hope that this will be a positivve step in putting hte community at ease along with healing for the congregation of St. Mary's Catholic Church."
The church was a fixture in Melrose with its 130 foot towers. The fire caused extensive damage to the altar and sacristy area. The wood altar, which was made in Germany, and installed prior to the churches dedication in 1899, was destroyed. In addition to the damage caused by the fire, there was several feet of standing water in the basement.
On Wednesday afternoon Bishop Donald Kettler of the Diocese of Saint Cloud released a statement addressing the arrest and charging of the teen.
“I hope this news can be another step in the healing process for the people of St. Mary’s Church in Melrose," said Bishop Kettler in a prepared statement. "I and the people of our diocese have been praying for the Melrose community since the time of the fire, and we will continue to offer whatever support they need as they work to build a new church and plan for the future. I also will be praying for the youth who was charged and for their family. I hope they, too, receive the help they need. As Christians, we are committed to justice, but justice must always be tempered by mercy, and it must never abandon hope for a person’s reform.”