Deputy's son arrested in connection with fires of historically-black churches in Louisiana

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Raw Story

MATTHEW CHAPMAN
10 APR 2019 AT 21:56 ET

On Thursday, KATC reported that Holden Matthews, a 21-year-old son of a St. Landry Parish deputy, has been arrested for three recent fires set at African-American churches in Louisiana.

The fires, which started in late March, occurred at St. Mary Baptist Church in Port Barre, Greater Union Baptist Church in Opelouas, and Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Opelousas.

A state fire marshal spokesperson will hold a news conference on Thursday morning, with Gov. John Bel Edwards in attendance.

(Short article, no more at link.)

Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/2019/04/deputys-son-arrested-connection-fires-historically-black-churches-louisiana/?utm_source=push_notifications

---

Multiple sources: One in custody in church fires
KATC News
6:54 pm
April 10, 2019

KATC has confirmed with multiple law enforcement sources that one person is in custody in the recent church fires in St. Landry Parish.

Sources confirm the suspect in the church arsons is Holden Matthews, 21. He is the son of a St. Landry Parish Deputy.

. . .

We’re told that the Louisiana State Fire Marshal’s Office will be holding a press conference tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. Governor John Bel Edwards is expected to be there along with officials from St. Landry Parish, The FBI, and ATF.

“I’m very proud of the investigative effort that has lead to this arrest. I’m prayerful that we can close this horrific chapter and begin to heal. I’m especially uplifted by the Christian Community right now. God bless us one and all,” Congressman Clay Higgins said in a statement to KATC.

More:
https://katc.com/news/around-acadiana/st-landry-parish/2019/04/10/multiple-sources-one-in-custody-in-church-fires/





Holden Matthews, son of deputy in St. Landry Parish.

[tblue37]

1. K&R for visibility. nt

[olegramps]

19. Trump's influence can not be dismissed for influencing the rise in racism.

Trump is an unmitigated immoral disaster who is undercutting the basic struggle that this nation has faced in combating discrimination against Black people. He alone has set back the work to eliminate prejudice by decades.

However, he is not alone in this tragedy, but has been aided by the silence of the Republican Party to reprimand numerous candidates that have curried the favor of bigots. Rather than condemnation, what we have experienced is the loud affirmation of hatred not only by their silence, but their determination to undercut the historic civil rights legislation that addressed flagrant abuses of our fellow citizens.

It is without question that the Republicans are willing not only willing to embrace the worst elements of our society for political gain but actively encourage hatred and division within our society. It is a party that has given us within my life time presidents whose administrations have been the subject of numerous investigations with scores of convictions and imprisonment. It is without question a rogue criminally impregnated organization with more in common with common gangsters than responsible leadership. It has become a blight that must be destroyed before it consumes the nation with its embrace of pure vindictive evilness to achieve its goals.

[Chin music]

28. +1

[CrispyQ]

34. Perfectly stated!

I worry that too many of our democrats don't fully understand or appreciate exactly how depraved the GOP has become.

[LonePirate]

2. Where and how was he radicalized? His racism did not spring up from nowhere.

[mopinko]

4. white isis.

yes, lets stop this online self radicalization.

[procon]

8. Was he the product of his environment?

Was he likely exposed to bigotry, racism and hate towards POC from early on, maybe hearing his dad unwind from a bad day at work as a Louisiana cop arresting black citizens? His father's teaching may have had a huge impact on his young, immature thinking processes, and he lacked the necessary strenth of character to avoid falling into the cycle of hate. Did he get those views reinforced at his school, by his classmates, and his teacher's discriminatory interactions with black students vs white? Did he see the same attitudes on display throughout his community, in his church, businesses who didn't hire nonwhites?

[DoctorJoJo]

10. I'm Guessing You Nailed it--I Had the Same Thoughts. Tree Begets Apple

[eggplant]

13. A Brett Butler said on Grace Under Fire...

...the cracker doesn't fall far from the box.

[tblue37]

22. I loved that show. Too bad her addictions caused it to be cancelled. nt

[vlyons]

16. well of course he is a product of his environment

Not a man, just a young punk. And now he has ruined his life. A felony conviction is the gift that keeps on giving. Luckily, no one died in his fires.

[Skidmore]

21. Here's aa link for an article I just read.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/holden-matthews-arrested-in-string-of-louisiana-church-fires

[riversedge]

3. Eeks, even in daylight, I would cross the street if I saw him walking toward me.

[The Polack MSgt]

5. It's going to be hard to - ahem, whitewash this crime

As NOT a hate crime since this dipshit is walking around wearing Thor's Hammer like that

[Tyrs WolfDaemon]

15. Can we leave Thor out of this

Not all of us who wear a Thor's Hammer pendant have anything to do with race hating dipshits. I understand that there are plenty of racist a$$wipes that wear hammers and other runic symbols but there are also a great many of us that don't find such hate in our beliefs.

[Dorian Gray]

17. Unfortunately

Germanic pagan symbols are fast becoming a calling card for Alt-right racist thugs.

I know it's unfair for those who have used and loved those symbols and don't identify in this way, but if I see someone wearing Thor's hammer (or have a tattoo, etc.), I'm going to be wary of him/her. At least until I know more about their background/beliefs.

[The Polack MSgt]

23. When I was a teenager, 88 only meant Lynn Swan's number

10 years ago Pepe the Frog was just a stoner cartoon character and 2 years ago the OK symbol was OK.

It sucks, but Nazis spoil all they touch

I have never seen Thor's Hammer used in a non racist manner - That's not quite accurate, I've never seen a man wearing that symbol who turned out NOT to be racist.

I sympathize with you and believe you, but just like with a coral snake and a king snake, I can't tell by looking which is venomous.

[yardwork]

25. Unfortunately, your symbols have been coopted. The swastika used to be a symbol of life.

[IronLionZion]

30. The swastika has been a religious icon thousands of years before Nazis co-opted it

The swastika or sauvastika (as a character, 卐 or 卍 is a geometrical figure and an ancient religious icon in the cultures of Eurasia. It is used as a symbol of divinity and spirituality in Indian religions.[1][2][3][4] In the Western world, it was a symbol of auspiciousness and good luck until the 1930s, when it became a feature of Nazi symbolism as an emblem of Aryan identity and, as a result, was stigmatized by its association with racism and antisemitism. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika

Nordic symbols are cool but racist idiots have ruined it

[WhiskeyGrinder]

38. A loved one wears a valknut but generally under their clothes. They let their actions speak

for themselves and understands people may still get the wrong impression.

[Honeycombe8]

6. That was fast. Good work, if he's the one. Now the churches can rebuild.

I hope the communities will donate funds for rebuilding.

What a lowlife. What IS his problem? He belong to a group, maybe? Was this his initiation? He just hates black people? Or just black people who go to church? Or to hearken back to the church burnings of years ago? I hope he gets some serious time for this.

[Marcuse]

7. Hopefully the apple fell far from the tree.

[Haggis for Breakfast]

9. Your family must be so proud of you.

[The Polack MSgt]

24. I suspect they are TBH nt

[SunSeeker]

11. Fucking Nazi. Hope they throw the book at him. But they might not.

This is Louisiana, where white cops shot black Katrina victims in cold blood, and got to plead to 3 to 12 year reduced sentences.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danziger_Bridge_shootings

Justice is not assured.

[Progressive Jones]

12. I'm looking at this guy's photo, and another story came to mind.

He looks "Metal". Not disparaging the Metal community in any way. I'm part of it. But, maybe this guy in LA is a follower of this nut case. He burned churches, too.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varg_Vikernes

[SunSeeker]

36. That Norwegian nut burned down Norwegian churches. The LA Nazi just burned black churches.

One attacked predominantly white churches apparently because he was anti-church (he was a pagan), while the LA Nazi only attacked black churches, indicating he was driven by racism.

[Progressive Jones]

37. Probably not too many Black churches in Norway. It was just two stories that connected in my mind...

[SunSeeker]

39. Your instincts were correct. Looks like he is indeed a black metal fan.

Holden Matthews, who was taken into custody late Wednesday without incident, has a possible connection with "black metal" music and "its associated history with church burnings in other parts of the world," the fire marshal said.

On a Facebook page that appears to belong to Matthews, he is listed as the lead singer of a band called Vodka Vultures and is pictured in front of graffiti that says "black metal."

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/feds-looking-bias-motivation-after-suspect-arrested-louisiana-church-burnings-n993456

Black metal appears to attract white nationalists, as well as violent Norwegian pagans.

[C Moon]

14. I have SO much respect for you DU'rs who live in the south. There's a lot of racism everywhere...

but damn, it is a cancer in the south states.

[skip fox]

20. I've lived in St. Landry Parish for over 25 years, 6 miles from one of the churches.

Yes, there is racism but maybe less than you imagine.

I have taught at a univ. in Lafayette for 38 years and I have not seen racism there.

The man who mows my lawn if white and has an African-American wife. They live in St, Landry Parish about 8 miles from one of the churches.

Neither of these things mean there is no racism, just that it's more complicated than people from elsewhere would probably imagine.

[yardwork]

26. I grew up in the Midwest and have lived in the south for decades.

In terms of racism, it's bad everywhere. Not much difference, honestly.

I think that sexism is worse in the south.

[machI]

18. Trump inspired white nationalist?

Tell me it is not so.

[DesertRat]

27. Domestic terrorism

Link to tweet

[SunSeeker]

40. A desecration of our flag.

[KansasKali]

29. What is he wearing around his neck?

Is it one of those neo pagan white nationalist symbols?

[tulipsandroses]

31. I know there is a lot going on the news right now, but I have not seen this picked up on cable news

yet. I'm looking forward to Craig Melvin, Ari, or Ali Velshi, later. They tend to carry stories that others ignore. I'm glad he was caught. Good work to the law enforcement agents who worked on this case! He's a terrorist. Plain and simple. I wonder what president trump will say. Nothing I suppose.

[tulipsandroses]

35. Like I said, I knew I could count on Ali to carry this story

He always carries stories others ignore. Thank you Ali!

[Grins]

32. What a handsome fella'!!

No doubt also an academic "skolar" too!

[Roy Rolling]

33. Congressman Clay Higgins

This is his district (I'm from New Orleans). He emblemizes the type of hate that makes this break out. These are just the reported crimes, Higgins is the spiritual leader of a cult of no-nothings in St. Landry Parish. He's an embarrassment to them all, and sticking his nose into the issue with a statement is shameless self-promotion.

And groveling that he's uplifted by "the Christian Community" is something the Louisiana "Christian Community" doesn't want and certainly doesn't need.

Let him lift his own heavy ass to Heaven, ain't nobody in a Louisiana church gonna help carry that load to Jesus.