A Florida mother could not help but smile as she watched the home she burned to the ground in revenge for her daughter who was raped and murdered.
This tremendous house fire in Florida was set intentionally! Diana Thompson even had her children help her burn the house to the ground and is happy she did it! The home belonged to Jarred Harrell – and before you get all upset that this guy lost his house, read on.
“Burn, baby, burn,” Thompson said, watching flames turn the former home of Jarred Harrell into a shell after she threw a flare inside during a firefighter training exercise.
In 2009, Diana Thompson’s daughter Somer, 7, was raped and killed by Jarred Harrell in his Orange Park, Fla. home. Now, Thompson was able to mend the wounds from her daughter’s death by burning down Harrell’s house
Once he was behind bars, Harrell’s house went into foreclosure and the bank ultimately transferred proprietary rights to the Somer Thompson Foundation. The Foundation then donated the home to the Orange Park Fire department – for training purposes.
The fire department allowed Thompson and her children to partake in the destruction of the home.
“I get to burn their house down,” she told the Florida Times-Union. “I’m the big bad wolf this time knocking down your door, not the other way around. It’s really nice to know that I’m not ever going to have to drive in this neighborhood again and see this piece of trash.”
Chief Ty Silcox said the burning of the house was emotional. The community is ready to start the healing process, and by getting rid of the house, they can begin.
“It’s been a long time coming,” he told WJXT. “I think the community is ready to start healing, and I think being a part of this is going to help the community start (to) heal.”
Sources: OpposingViews, Florida Times-Union, WJXT