[Goose]

Looks like he was not charged with murder.

Michael Jarrod Bakkela, 41, was charged with two counts of arson, along with 15 counts of criminal mischief and 14 counts of reckless endangering.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/man-charged-ar...d=72960208

BC

Although I obviously don't know what the prosecution is thinking, it is common to charge defendants with the things that are a slam-dunk to prove initially. You can arrest them and interrogate them using those charges. That allows you time to figure out what you are actually going to charge them with, which may be more serious, once you have all the information. It also allows you to use the additional charges as a threat, although in this case probably there is no information to be extracted that way.

[Goose]

Looks like he was not charged with murder.

Michael Jarrod Bakkela, 41, was charged with two counts of arson, along with 15 counts of criminal mischief and 14 counts of reckless endangering.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/man-charged-ar...d=72960208

BC

Although I obviously don't know what the prosecution is thinking, it is common to charge defendants with the things that are a slam-dunk to prove initially. You can arrest them and interrogate them using those charges. That allows you time to figure out what you are actually going to charge them with, which may be more serious, once you have all the information. It also allows you to use the additional charges as a threat, although in this case probably there is no information to be extracted that way.