Butch Browning, State Fire Marshal
23-year-old Holden Matthews was sentenced Monday to 25 years in prison on state charges for the arson of three historically black churches in St. Landry Parish over a ten-day span in 2019. Matthews was already sentenced to 25 years on federal charges and the two sentences will be served simultaneously.
“Not to diminish the loss and really the lifetime hurt of that these church congregations will feel by the loss of their buildings, the loss of their ability to worship in freedom, but I think justice was served,” said State Fire Marshal Butch Browning.
Browning says his office worked closely with the St Landry Sheriff’s Office, ATF, FBI, and State Police on the case and credits church members and their assistance with solving this case so quickly.
“And when we see something, we suspect something, it’s our civic duty to bring that information to law enforcement so they can protect victims and protect the public,” said Browning.
Browning says he speaks with church leaders on a regular basis and plans to visit the churches when they have completed construction. Browning says a silver lining of the church burnings is that it unified the community and…
“One of the pastors and I kind of joke around that the only good thing that’s come out of these fires is that he and I became friends because otherwise we never would have met,” said Browning.
Browning says Louisiana has one of the best arson clearance rates at 30-percent, the national average is 10-percent, because of that Browning says if you’re going to commit arson in the state you’re more likely to get caught.
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