Ex-Forest Fire Watcher Sets Fires
A former Korean Forest Fire Watcher sets multiple fires and vandalized former coworkers property after the Korean Forest Service didn’t rehire him. The suspect had worked as a Forest Fire Watcher for the previous 10 years. The Seoul Economic Daily article, by Cho Su-yeon, describes the suspect using a lighter to ignite tissue paper to start the fires. “Investigators found that [the suspect] committed the crimes out of resentment after being rejected in this year's hiring round for forest fire watchers”.
The suspects motive fits the general arson motive of retaliation, he likely also exhibited a goal directed typology. Revenge/spite fits within the goal directed typology. The suspect likely had a specific goal in mind prior to the event. While it important to look at motive in the later aspects of an investigation, the bottom line in this case is basic police work solved the case. “Police, working with forest authorities, tracked [the suspect] down through on-site forensic examination, closed-circuit television analysis and canvassing”. All too often an investigators obsession with motive can cloud the investigation. You still have to get out there and knock on doors.