voiceofreason
Senior News Editor since 2011
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Business acquaintance charged in torching of Hoover home that killed owner’s dog
Updated Nov 21, 2019
A 57-year-old Bessemer man previously convicted in a shooting that left his wife and his brother-in-law seriously injured is now charged in the torching of a Hoover house that killed the homeowner’s dog.
Police on Thursday announced formal charges against William Boglin Jr. He is charged with second-degree arson and first-degree animal cruelty.
The blaze happened in October at a home in the 5400 block of Scout Trace Lane. A surveillance camera captured a man on the back patio who was wearing a backpack and pouring a liquid accelerant from a green container, according to Hoover police spokesman Lt. Keith Czeskleba.
The home’s residents were not in the house at the time of the blaze around 2:18 p.m. that Wednesday but a dog inside the home did not survive the fire. Hoover police Capt. Gregg Rector previously said it was likely that the person responsible for setting the fire knew there was a family pet inside the home.
“This dog would have most likely been barking at an intruder on the back deck. It’s really disturbing to imagine what kind of person would set a house on fire with a family pet inside,” Rector said in October.
“We believed from the beginning that this was not a random act and our investigation did indeed, uncover a brief, professional relationship between the homeowner and the suspect,’’ Rector said. “Mr. Boglin was obviously angry with the victim and he went to great efforts to commit this crime without being detected.”
“And as if this suspect’s crime was not callous enough, it also took the life of Logan, a 6-month-old Goldendoodle puppy. We’re glad to be able to offer some measure of closure for the victim,’’ Rector said. “We are very pleased that his efforts were not as well planned as he had hoped, and he failed. He also has an extensive criminal history that includes going to prison twice and attempted murder of a family member.”
Court records show Boglin has had multiple arrests and convictions, mostly for property crimes. However, he was convicted in 1997 on one second-degree assault charge after authorities say he shot his estranged wife in the back of the head, and also wounded her brother during the attack. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison in that case.
Rector on Thursday said arson cases are generally very difficult to prove but two Hoover investigators have been working on the case daily for the past seven weeks. Neighbors’ home surveillance recordings from Ring and Nest were critical pieces of evidence, as were other forms of technology. “Our team of detectives were also determined to hold this suspect accountable for his disturbing actions,’’ he said.
Business acquaintance charged in torching of Hoover home that killed owner’s dog
Updated Nov 21, 2019
A 57-year-old Bessemer man previously convicted in a shooting that left his wife and his brother-in-law seriously injured is now charged in the torching of a Hoover house that killed the homeowner’s dog.
Police on Thursday announced formal charges against William Boglin Jr. He is charged with second-degree arson and first-degree animal cruelty.
The blaze happened in October at a home in the 5400 block of Scout Trace Lane. A surveillance camera captured a man on the back patio who was wearing a backpack and pouring a liquid accelerant from a green container, according to Hoover police spokesman Lt. Keith Czeskleba.
The home’s residents were not in the house at the time of the blaze around 2:18 p.m. that Wednesday but a dog inside the home did not survive the fire. Hoover police Capt. Gregg Rector previously said it was likely that the person responsible for setting the fire knew there was a family pet inside the home.
“This dog would have most likely been barking at an intruder on the back deck. It’s really disturbing to imagine what kind of person would set a house on fire with a family pet inside,” Rector said in October.
“We believed from the beginning that this was not a random act and our investigation did indeed, uncover a brief, professional relationship between the homeowner and the suspect,’’ Rector said. “Mr. Boglin was obviously angry with the victim and he went to great efforts to commit this crime without being detected.”
“And as if this suspect’s crime was not callous enough, it also took the life of Logan, a 6-month-old Goldendoodle puppy. We’re glad to be able to offer some measure of closure for the victim,’’ Rector said. “We are very pleased that his efforts were not as well planned as he had hoped, and he failed. He also has an extensive criminal history that includes going to prison twice and attempted murder of a family member.”
Court records show Boglin has had multiple arrests and convictions, mostly for property crimes. However, he was convicted in 1997 on one second-degree assault charge after authorities say he shot his estranged wife in the back of the head, and also wounded her brother during the attack. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison in that case.
Rector on Thursday said arson cases are generally very difficult to prove but two Hoover investigators have been working on the case daily for the past seven weeks. Neighbors’ home surveillance recordings from Ring and Nest were critical pieces of evidence, as were other forms of technology. “Our team of detectives were also determined to hold this suspect accountable for his disturbing actions,’’ he said.