By Chuck Hustmyre

March 9, 2006

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Tuscaloosa, Ala. (Crime Library, ) -Declaring that the "reign of terror has ended," law enforcement authorities in Alabama announced Wednesday the capture of three suspects in a string of nine church fires that swept across the state over a four-day period last month.

Arrested Wednesday were Benjamin N. Moseley, 19, of Birmingham, Ala., Russell L. DeBusk Jr., 19, of Hoover, Ala., and Matthew L. Cloyd, 20, of Indian Sprigs, Ala.

All three were in federal custody late Wednesday morning and charged in a two-count criminal complaint with conspiracy and arson. Under federal law the arson charge carries a minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of 40 years. The conspiracy violation carries with it a maximum sentence of five years.

At a press briefing Wednesday, Alabama Attorney General Troy King said, "The reign of terror has ended." King praised the tireless work of the federal, state, and local investigators who worked on the case. "What they've done is just good old fashioned police work," he said.

Special Agent in Charge James Cavanaugh of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, who headed up the investigation, said, "We just slogged through the leads and we just pushed and pushed and pushed."

According to the criminal compliant, investigators identified the three suspects from tire impressions left at six of the burned churches. They traced the type of tire that made the impressions to a tire store in Pelham, Ala. Records from the tire store led investigators to Kimberly Cloyd, the mother of suspect Matthew Lee Cloyd, and to Matthew Cloyd's green Toyota 4Runner.

Almost since the beginning of the investigation, law enforcement officers announced they were looking for a dark sport utility vehicle occupied by at least two young white males.

All three suspects are white.

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Contact Chuck Hustmyre at chuck3174@yahoo.com