Paris, IL. (ECWd) –
November 18th was the seven year anniversary of the firebombing at the Edgar County Airport where two aircraft were destroyed by unknown suspects in the middle of the night.
Our hope is that anyone who knows anything about the firebombing of these two aircraft will come forward with any information they may have so that those responsible can be brought to justice. We do know that someone out there knows something about this, and most likely more than one person was involved. It is time to clear your conscience and come forward with whatever information you may have.
Explosive devices were found. (here)
Spray painted on the side of the aircraft were the words “Fuck Rob” and “This is our airport” indicating, to us at least, that this was a personal grudge against those who were questioning activities at this airport and had some personal interest in the airport.
We later learned that because of an outstanding bill owed to the cell phone company in another case, the state police did not request cell tower data during their investigation of this crime (see the email here). According to sources within a state agency, one issue that could have shed light on those responsible for the double-airplane firebombing would have been access to Verizon cell phone tower data – which could not be had due to Illinois’ failure to pay their Verizon bill incurred thru a double-murder investigation years earlier.
This made it impossible to track any cell phones in and around the airport before and during the commission of this crime – which also made it impossible to prove any person or persons were in the area at the time.
We do know that only one of the original four or five “suspects” agreed to be questioned and undergo a polygraph (read the article HERE). Three others refused.
Incidentally, there was also a plane crash in 2014 kept secret from the public – it occurred on Edgar County Airport property and nobody saw anything…even though it was towed into a hangar after the crash, and was later decertified and exported to Bolivia, in South America.. There were a variety of stories told, including that a deer was on the runway – but that story failed when after the crash, the former airport manager told IDOT during a meeting we attended that they did not need funding for fencing because they never experience a deer problem on Edgar County Airport property.
3 Comments
Robert O. Bogue
Posted at 23:55h, 23 NovemberMost Edgar County residents have yet to notice the relationship between: the FAA’s withdrawal of the already approved $880,000. Edgar County Airport improvement grant and the firebombing of N106PT and N25 MA..
Both N106 PT and N25MA were associated with RSB Aviation, A business owned by my son Rusty. Part of Rustys business provided charter pilots to corporations for aircraft these corporations had leased.. .
The withdrawal of project funding by the FAA is believe to have been the triggering event for this firebombing which followed days later.
It is my clear understanding the FAA’s withdrawal was based on false statements and misleading information provided by former Airport Manager Jimmy Wells and by former Airport Advisory Board chair person Chris Patrick:: as were found in the FAA’s grant application and associated documents.
False statements such as: Fuel sales quantities, storage tank sizes, the number of operations (take off’s and landing) and the number of aircraft in residency at the Airport. Statements, all brought to the FAA attention by the ECWD’s and myself. .
At the time of the firebombing, Patrick had functioned on the Airport advisory board as chairperson for decades with what is believed by many to have been a clear conflict of interest.
It is also known that Wells and Patrick were close associates and that they each owned and/or operated aircraft at this airport, In addition, Patrick’s concrete company, Zimmerly Ready Mix, is thought to have supplied all of the concrete to the airport since it’s inception.
To most, this firebombing was in retaliation for speaking out against grant fraud and theft of our federal dollars:: as well as a means to send a message to the honest citizens of Edgar County to fear it’s criminal elements.
This conclusion is drawn because adjacent aircraft were undamaged in the carnage and based on the graffiti found only on RSB associated planes.
Wells and Patrick have yet to take a polygraph. My attempts to move the investigation forward included a voluntary polygraph….which I passed.
My son, Rusty died on August 27, 2013 on his mother’s birthday, in a crash after taking off from this airport. This was months before the fire bombing and at a time when Wells and Patrick were attempting to force my son to sell his fast growing and successful business to them….. which he steadfastly refused….. which led to a concerted effort to put him out of business..
.
Cynthia Brown
Posted at 21:17h, 23 NovemberI, along with my family have prayed for justice to be served in this arson which destroyed planes my nephew Rusty Bogue used in his aviation business. I have spent many sleepless nights recalling events of the months prior to that fateful crash that claimed Rusty’s life. One particular airport board meeting sticks in my mind along with statements made by a former airport board chairman who was harassing Rusty about not having current registrations in his planes. That airport board chairman had no right to trespass in planes that were not his property but he had been in them searching for registrations that were none of his business . This same man has not once ever said to any of Rusty’s family that he was sorry for our loss, Sometimes it is what a person doesn’t say that speaks the loudest. Someone trespassed on those planes on November 18, 2013 and set them on fire when our family was still struggling with the tragic loss of a very loved young man, who was a father, husband, son, brother, nephew, cousin, and friend to thousands . I too believe justice will one day be served as we all will be held accountable for our actions.. For now am trying to let God do the judging.
Rory Steidl
Posted at 13:11h, 23 NovemberI’m incredulous that the ISP didn’t or couldn’t do a cell tower search due to…the state of IL not paying its Verizon bill? How lame can it get? Your tax dollars at work (NOT). And, I’m not necessarily blaming the ISP – at least not at the District level. Freaking ridiculous. I’ll bet the POS felon(s) responsible thought that was a pretty ironic and fortuitous stroke of luck. What goes around, comes around, and the arsonist will – in some manner or another – suffer a fate befitting of his/her character. It may take a while but their day will come even if in an indirect consequence.