Man, 89, another suspect arrested in woman’s fire death
IDABEL, Okla. –Two men are charged with second-degree murder and second-degree arson after a fatal house fire
Allen Shaw, 89, and Randy Sander, 69, are being held in the McCurtain County jail with bail set at $500,000 each, according to information from the Oklahoma State
Bureau of Investigation.
Danette Stowe, 43, died March 2 in a fire at a house near Idabel.
The McCurtain County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call of a house fire in the 2800 block of Womack Road. Once the fire was put out, Stowe was found deceased and her husband was transported to the hospital to be treated for his injuries.
In addition to the OSBI, the McCurtain County Sheriff’s Office, Oklahoma State Fire Marshal’s Office and Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office, as well as the Garvin, Idabel and Millerton fire departments responded to the fire.
Investigators believe a civil dispute in late February led to the alleged arson.
On Feb. 20, McCurtain County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a residence west of Idabel.
Shaw, the property’s owner, was attempting to forcibly remove the residents and told deputies the occupants had not paid rent in two years. Deputies reportedly informed him of the legal process for eviction.
The residents reportedly told deputies they were concerned because Shaw recently had visited the property several times, and they were encouraged to seek a protective order, according to law enforcement.
However, the situation escalated on March 2 when Shaw and Sander allegedly returned to the property and set the residence on fire.
The occupants were outside when the fire was set, but Stowe went back inside to get her pets.
When law enforcement and firefighters arrived on scene, the residence was engulfed in flames.