OLD TOWN, Maine — Investigators have concluded that the fire which broke out at 614 Main St. last weekend was set by the homeowner, who allegedly told police the arson was her second attempt to burn down the house.
“She had enough and didn’t want anything to do with the house,” Old Town police Officer Lee Miller said of Winnie Osnoe, 39, who was charged Wednesday with felony arson.
Osnoe, who co-owns the house with her mother, is behind on her mortgage payments and there are several problems with the house, which code enforcement officer Dave Russell condemned on Monday.
“I’ve never seen a house look that bad — the [animal] feces, the trash,” Miller said. “It was just covered with dog feces.”
Osnoe owned four dogs, which have been taken to the Bangor Humane Society, and several cats, two of which were captured and taken to the Old Town Animal Orphanage, Miller said.
The house is “unsafe for human habitation” because of the extensive fire damage and “pre-existing environmental deficiencies,” Russell said, referring to the trash and excrement.
“It’s a mess,” he said. “They let their animals do whatever they wanted.”
The only water to the residence was provided by an outside spigot, because the building’s copper pipes reportedly were stolen this past summer, Miller said, and Osnoe was using the kitchen stove to heat the building she shared with her 20-year-old daughter.
Osnoe told police she started the fire on Saturday, Oct. 27, by throwing a lighter into trash piled in an upstairs bedroom and then left the house to go for a walk with her daughter, Miller said. People in the neighborhood reported the fire shortly before 11:30 a.m. Heavy smoke and flames were pouring out of the two-story building when fire crews arrived.
“She said there may or may not [have been] lighter fluid over by the bed,” Miller said.
Evidence from the area around the bed was collected and is being tested for incendiary elements by a team of investigators made up of Fire Chief Steve O’Malley, Lt. Matthew Redding, Lt. David Daniel and Miller.
After the fire, the Pine Tree Chapter of the American Red Cross arranged for temporary housing for Osnoe and her daughter, who were put up at a local motel.
Police first suspected arson because there were “some inconsistencies in the story she told us and the fire insurance investigator,” Miller said.
Also, the origin of the fire was nowhere near any electrical outlets or other devices, he said.
“We determined it had to be a human element,” the officer said.
While investigators were at the house, Osnoe pointed out fire damage on a wall near the thermostat that she said occurred two or three weeks ago, Miller said.
“She ended up admitting to us she started the fire near the thermostat,” he said.
Osnoe, who has no criminal history, could face up to 30 years in prison if convicted of the arson charge against her. She is scheduled to appear in court in December.
Where she and her daughter now are staying was not available Friday.
These are desperate times. People living in desperation do things they wouldn’t do normally.
I’d also say that perhaps this woman has some sort of mental illness, how else could anyone live in the conditions described?
Simple, alot of people do this type of behavior, but have no issuees. She just did not care anymore
I find it difficult to believe that people exhibiting this type of behavior do not have any issues, obviously there’s something wrong there beyond simply not caring anymore.
Hoarders for one. I know a hoarder who is 98 years old lives right here in Bangor, code enforcement said nothing can be done he is not in unlivable conditions. I have gone and taken truckloads of trash out of his house.
Thank you for helping your fellow man. It is people like you that are the hope for this race we call human.
How many times has he tried to burn down his property? When you start risking the health of others is when things has gone too far.
I’ve see them a lot around town. They are functional. They are just lazy and filthy.
…and you have a Human Behavior degree from what university?
frankie11, It must be nice to live in your black and white world. The rest of see all the shades of grey in between and we would like to find a way to help someone like this woman get the help she needs.
I will pray that somewhere along the road you will develop some compassion for all God’s creatures, even the ones you don’t particularly like.
They are functional and they are getting welfare. After this, the welfare should stop.
getting welfare=functional? or functional=getting welfare? As you can see, stated as a simple equation, one has nothing to do with the other. Getting welfare is usually related to one’s income or lack thereof. I hope the welfare police never hire you.
That level of not caring is an issue. Sometimes it just gets too big and not seeing any way to change it, they pretend it doesn’t exist at all, then there is nothing to care about.
In my time I have seen a lot of people who live in squalid conditions that today are referred to as hoarders and such. They have been people who were definitely mentally ill and there were some who appeared ‘normal’. I’ve never understood why people live in squalor but I do know all types from the poor to the wealthy do. Squalor doesn’t appear to be the sign of a healthy mind.
I lived in a few shacks in my early days, but they were clean, tidy and my dogs always went outside to do their business.
Probably you don’t suffer from mental illness or certainly not the extent someone like this does. Because so many people can keep their home and work lives so very separate, you might never suspect a co-worker of living like that. Something usually sets this wheel into motion. Often a death or a loss makes people not want to let go of anything, even the trash. It might look like laziness or slovenliness but it is a real fear of letting go. If you watch the hoarder shows you will so how agitated some get when workers try to remove anything.
You can legislate codes all you want, but these people suffer from some type of OCD and they just don’t see the problem. The bigger problem to them is having to let anything out or away. Most of these people need a lot of help. Those folks you see on the shows have all had some measure of psychological counselling just to be on the show so they can be seen letting something go. For a lot, they are not ready. Those that don’t have to do the work, often leave for a period of time and come back to a clean house. Then it looks different, because they had nothing to do with any of the changes. But without counselling most will not be able to keep it up. Some will develop new habits to supersede the bad ones, but most will fall right back into the mess, because they need to be taught to how to let some stuff go and what to keep and what not to keep.
This woman needs our help and our prayers that she can and will get the help for herself and her daughter.
she has always lived in those kinds of conditions
Many people are in “desperate” situations, but how many of them torch their house with intent to defraud the insurance company, and put people in danger. She’s the exception, not the rule. There is no excuse for this.
After reading your posts, you sound like you have a personal vendetta against this woman.
The court will decide what should be done in her best interest.
she doesn’t have a personal vendetta against this woman, she just knows what this person is, filthy
After reading your posts you seem to share the same feelings.
Look people do odd things in life, this is one of those things. The court will decide what will be done. Unfortunately this is the court of public opinion and people tend to judge quickly and harshly without all the facts.
No vendetta, just anger at how she callously put the lives of others in danger because she “didn’t want to deal” with the house anymore. Doesn’t anyone else see this? Wow!
I see it. I just don’t see it as callous. I see it as so very desperate to get out of a place where she was so stuck and my guess overwhelmed and depressed, i.e. sick.
I drive by this property on a daily basis. I have witnessed the extreme disregard for their property. I wouldn’t normally care but once they intentionally put the safety of other people at risk it is a different story. They should lose all government assistance and be forced to live back at their property. Lighting the place on fire was a decision THEY made.
How do you know what her intentions were if you are not friends with them, mind you?
Like not clean up their house?
The dumbing down of America is moving faster everyday.
along that line, an interesting quote from Isaac Asimov some time ago:
http://i.imgur.com/JMPAD.jpg
I hope you are kidding. Society has had people living in these conditions for centuries. It’s nothing new, the story just gets out easier and quicker. There are more out there-far more.
What shocks me is why was she not arrested for arson. She will get off with this
The article above which you apparently did not read says, “charged Wednesday with felony arson.”
I did read it thank you very much, but she was not arrested she was charged, much different than arrested. Have a nice day ya hear
Arresting is the physical act of taking someone into custody. It is normally performed by police officers.Charging is the act of proceeding in court with a prosecution against someone for committing a crime. It is normally performed by prosecutors.A person who has not been charged can be arrested. The police then bring information to the prosecutors, who then decide whether to charge. If the prosecutor declines to charge, the police normally must let the person go. So I’m guessing your complaint is that she wasn’t taken into custody (arrested) and is not currently behind bars? And I’m having a great day, thank you.
I can see this could be a long night with this, its arson any man would be arrested jailed book thrown at them, she is a lady she did not simple plan end of story. Enjoy your day sista
You think bringing sexes into it will make it a shorter night?
Not at all bring up sexes for that. It will be a long night because you all think females do nothing wrong. I have been in the system working for almost ten years, no longer due to i own my own businesses now. I have seen females bailed out out for personal recog bail $50 males $5000 same crime. Tell me what you think. Peace out
I’d say yours is a case of sour grapes.
Well thank you for the nice comment. It is much easier than what i do now, than seeing people get away with murder. Its horrible what the system does for females.
sista? OK
sista, brotha, whatever you are. Its proven over state over state, females get away with more
I have no argument there
dkenzie – apologies for my snarky remarks re: arrested vs. charged. I was out of line.
No problems at all, you did not make me upset. I was just stating that females do get away with more. Its been proven statewide
I think fewer men are afflicted with the disorders that cause hoarding. But from what I have seen on this site alone, the men who are are not treated any differently. This is about ability/disability, not sexual discrimination. To be fair, I do see your point of view in many stories, just not this kind of story.
Sounds like they should have just walked away and let the town take the property due to back taxes, in turn it would have been condemned and razed. She should be charged with insurance fraud and responsible for the debt. Punishment enough.
Doubtful she made a claim to the insurance company. No time to do so. The truth came out too soon. No claim – no fraud.
Can she be charged with insurance fraud? Did she file (or intend to) file a claim with them? There’s no mention of insurance at all in the article.
There was a reference to ” inconsistencies she told us and the fire insurance investigator.”
The article said that she told a different story to the police/fire marshall than she did to the insurance adjuster, so she must have, at least, started the ball rolling on getting insurance money. The intent to defraud was there, or so it seems.
Glad the animals were removed and hopefully they find decent homes.
Throw this lady in the graybar motel for a while. She should pay restitution to the Red Cross after they helped her with temporary housing. A lot of people in NY and NJ could use those funds.
There are so many people that could use the assistance, hope it gets to those who need it.
3rd time I have read this, more concerned about the animals and the daughter.maybe they needed help
Do you think a woman so depressed by conditions she can longer control does not need help? Yes the animals and her daughter need help too as they are victims of the conditions. Many times people become hoarders after a trauma in their lives. I don’t know this woman so I cannot say what caused this behavior, but believe me something is wrong. She was miserable enough with the situation that she wanted to burn the place down. Something is clearly wrong here.
Many hoarders develop what is known as “clutter blindness” which means they just don’t the situation as the rest of the world does. The trash on the floor simply does not exist because they have blinders to it. But clutter blindness seems to have an unnamed cousin. These same people could clean and scrub for days or weeks, but to them, it does look one bit different and because of that they can’t or won’t keep it clean. This woman needs a fresh start with almost no stuff. Just what it would take to maintain her life and then someone to show her how to organize, clean and keep it clean. None of that will work, however, without psychological counselling
Did she let her animals out of the house to escape the fire before she went for her walk? If not, then this story really pisses me off! I can buy she likey has mental illness, but I can’t tolerate the animal abuse…. mental illness or not.
After reading this story, I will never be able to listen to the song “Burning Down the House” without thinking of this woman. Or watch an episode of Hoarders for that matter.
That would be “Burning Down The House” by the Talking Heads.
Awesome tune.
Thanks. I stand corrected.
I think I’d first think of The Roof Is on Fire – sometimes it’s best just to let it go. Arrest her, but let that pit burn.
She should go to jail for a long time. By setting the fire and leaving, she and her daughter put potential civilian rescuers in danger, not to mention the firefighters. A passerby, seeing the house on fire, could have run into the house to try to save them, while they are out taking a leisurely walk, waiting for their house to burn down, probably discussing how they were going to spend their insurance money. That is selfishness and criminal negligence, along with arson. Also, the cost to the city/taxpayers to put out the fire is not inconsequential. To those who think that she has a screw loose: She’s lazy, not crazy. I live not far from their house and it was a complete and utter dump. They took a cute, well-kept home and within a few short months it looked like a “garbage bomb” went off. There was garbage strewn about the yard, blowing onto adjacent properties and there they sat in their filth not caring an ounce about what negative effect their property was having on their neighbors. Neither one of them worked, so it wasn’t like they didn’t have the time to pick up the trash- they just didn’t care. Their “lawn” was mowed once a summer-whether it needed it or not. I am quite sure that the neighbors are ecstatic to see the house and the two women gone. There should be NO more help from the Red Cross or any other agency or any city money going to help them. They did this to themselves.
Amen Frankie11. i have known this family and i am not friends with them mind you, but i have known them for years and they are filthy people.
…and of course because they don’t meet your houeskeeping standards they belong in jail.
She admittedly committed arson. That’s why she belongs in jail. No one said that she belonged in jail because of the disgusting condition of the property and house. Don’t read into the comments.
There is likely some mental illness involved in this somewhere. Some states are recognizing hoarding as a disorder and people in those state can get help via their health insurance. Imagine using health insurance to get and stay healthy. A novel idea, I tell you.
some friendship and intervention might have gone a long way and saved everybody years of grief.
I can’t believe some of the ignorant comments on this story.
Sad story.
Could have been a lot sadder had someone else lost their life trying to save someone they thought was in the house or if a firefighter had been hurt or killed while putting out the fire. This is about more than insurance fraud and arson. She potentially put others lives in danger. From what I heard from someone on the scene, she was talking on her cell phone and laughing while the fire department was trying to put out the fire.
That would suggest she has some mental issues that need tending. Perhaps they will be tended to now.
I have learned not to say anything when entering peoples homes.. I know some people who are highly respected in the area, yet live in dumps, I say that because their homes seem normal on the out side but they don’t own mops or brooms and never take their garbage out.. If I happen to go to these home with someone else I tell them in advance that they will have never seen any like this an to just shut up. you would be in shock. Highly fuctioning people without home skills
Many highly functional people only function on some levels. Other levels they are as dysfunctional as they are functional at the levels where they are successful.
She’s getting put up in a motel with her adult daughter while facing 30 years for arson? Why isn’t she being held for bail? It’s a tragic life for sure, but arson is a serious crime.
Because she is INNOCENT until PROVEN guilty.
she admitted that she set the fire raysgirl!!!!
Under our law, an admission
is not a conviction. It may be used later in a courtroom, but not to determine bail.
Also you would probably not believe how many times people (particularly mentally deficiant people) confess to crimes tehy did not commit.
Being technically responsible for something i.e. “I did it.” and legally responsible are different things. That is why we have an insanity plea and exceptions to certain statutes, such as being under medication taken by a physicians direction.
I never said she didn’t do it. I said she was innocent until proven guilty, the cornerstone of our justice system. That comment was in response to someone who wanted to know why she was being put up in a hotel instead of in jail.
She admitted it! She needs to be staying at the Penobscot County Jail, not a motel! There are many people awaiting trial who are in jail who didn’t even admit their guilt. She admitted it!
Have you ever heard the term innocent until proven guilty? In this country we have that protection.
When she is found guilty or pleads guilty then it changes, not until then.
When you ADMIT guilt, you can be assumed guilty. It’s not a huge mystery.
I get the concept. However, that does not guarantee guilt under the law.
Great picture could it get any smaller?
Slow learner!!!