This sponsor pulled my attention more than the video could because, having listened to it, I was so absolutely ready to hear how it connected to the context of the rest of the video. lol
The absolute Freudian slip of starting an introspective piece in 3rd person about the acts committed by your character and then ending it with a 1st person remark. The audacity of this man. Absolutely amazing documentary.
I had to pause the video just to re-read that. It doesn’t make sense as a narrative technique; it really was the man ‘working through’ his own thoughts on the murders he committed. Absolutely wild.
Bad writers often change from one perspective to another. Considering he was probably on his first draft I dont think it's too far fetched to say it could have just been a writing error.
The narration on this channel isn’t praised enough. It’s softer on the ears, easier to listen to than most other amateur documentarians on RUclips. This really is professional in every way.
The animation is brilliant as well. I do a spot of 3D animation myself and I like the subtleties in this. The angles used when looking at documents, dof, smoothness etc. all in all an excellent job on all fronts. 🙃👍
During the explanation of the numerous fires. I immediately thought "Its someone who works in the fire department or the police department." Most arsonists are thorough but won't conduct that many fires because they know they will get caught quickly. Its someone who is far too comfortable in starting fires.
I've lived in LA for nearly 13 years, have a lot of family here, am a born & bred Californian, and never knew about these fires. Horrifying. The lack of interdepartmental communication reminds me of the Zodiac case, another California one. Sigh. So much could be solved much faster by collaboration, I really don't get why it isn't a priority in these kinds of things. Glad it eventually ended up in collaboration at least. Thank you for the brilliant work as always.
A lot of it was simply the time period. Nobody had computers, especially in smaller cities/towns, and even when they did it took decades for the data to be compiled into databases that could be accessed by multiple agencies. It was a different world.. everything was forms and paper files stuck in a storage room somewhere. At the time they did the first fingerprint search it most likely involved a series of individual phone calls to each agency, a request put in to a clerk who would make a photo copy of the original document which was then faxed to the inspector.. a process that probably took a week or more with ten agencies to contact and wait for response from ..and then those low resolution images would be compared visually. These days you pop open software, update your sample, and it can search the entire country in a few hours at most, with a result that not only shows matches but anything close within a percentage of probability.
The fires started 40 years ago, in the 1980s. Unless you're in your 50s or older, you wouldn't have really heard about them or cared about them much. Not really an issue of communication in that case.
Holy-- This is just spectacularly made, way better than almost all documentaries I have seen, online or offline. Good enough to give people like Barely Sociable and Lemmino a run for their money. Keep up the amazing work. And ofc, thank you for making all these great vids
Yooo I read Joseph Wambaugh’s Fire Lover last year and could not put it down, was shocked how little coverage the story seemed to get elsewhere. ETA: Wrote this comment upon clicking since I was so excited to see this story covered- you did a PHENOMENAL job in every respect, instant sub from me! It was such a perfect complement to the book to get such clean, well-constructed visuals, as well as real photos and footage of the people involved. Sending love from the too-hot-but-thankfully-a-little-less-dry-this-year California Central Valley! 🥵
My house was set on fire by a serial arsonist/murderer with both me and my dog inside the home. It’s been almost two and a half years since that day, but after countless continuances, the trial has FINALLY began. I’ve lost so much, but I still have my life and my dogs still with me. I finally got to give my testimony this past week and I got all of the evidence I gathered admitted as evidence which was huge! But the weight hasn’t lifted yet like I’d hoped it would. I guess just like with everything else in life… it’s a process.
18:51 Dr Park Williams states that “ in pretty much every way, a perfect recipe for fire is just […] written into California.” Unfortunately, so many neglect that most of California’s wild fires can be widely attributed to a failure of proper forestry management and general risk management. Californians tend to believe wood and grasslands should be self-managed with minimal human involvement. As humans encroach into these areas they are more impacted by even small fires that (thousands-millions of years ago) could be permitted to burn without negative human interaction.
I just want to say now, having paused at 1 second in, that I'm at the blissful moment of knowing I'm about to bloody love this next hour and a half. Your content is just awesome. More power to you!
So I'm at home, sick, and youtubes algorithm gods decided to bless me by showing me one of your videos in my home feed. I then proceeded to watch all of your videos. If I could give your videos a rating they'd be 20/10. The production quality is unreal. So visually interesting. Such interesting topics. Such a soothing voice despite the hard subject matter. So thorough and clearly well researched. I have nothing but good things to say. I can't wait for the next video!
Awesome job! I grew up in Burbank in the 80's and 90's and vaguely remember this story because of all the chaos that goes on in L.A. (i.e. the Rodney King beating and subsequent riots, O.J. Simpson trial, Northridge earthquake, etc...)
I'm constantly blown away by each video released from this channel, but this whole documentary takes the cake! The quality, the effort to put this together and put the victims at the forefront, had me captivated from start to finish, just wow
I love your channel. And I love that you just dropped that horror podcast on us! I drive for work so I’m always - ALWAYS - on the lookout for a good horror podcast. I’ve run out of R/NoSleep shows, so now I’m sifting through the rest of the genre trying to find something that resonates. I’ll give this show a shot today. Thank you!
The production value, including scripting, imagery, sound quality, and just general thoroughness of the subject matter on these videos is _astounding_ for such a young channel. I cannot wait to see your next project. (And the one after it. And the one after that...)
Great channel. Animation and Narration. I like how videos have wildly different lengths, I feel like alot of detail is kept in and not shortened (to much) to meet a video length target. Although a different style, this reminds me abit of the Lemino channel, also a great channel. Best wishes all.
I don't remember the last time a crime show has made me tear up as bad as those first 11 minutes did here, you truly painted a devastating and heart breaking scenario 😢
You TRULY rock with your presentations…ALWAYS!! Thank you again for BRILLIANTLY putting together a well researched & well documented video. GR8LY appreciated 💕
This is a great video! I like how you set up the story/drama (in the framing of the video), and your narration is really smooth. Feels like a nice television documentary.
I remember listening to the news on the way to work saying ," a fire chief or captain was arrested for settong fires to increase his departments federal funding .😮
This is the first video of yours that I 'consumed'. I am always looking for something I can listen to while working, but also has visuals that add something without being absolutely necessary, for my breaks. This video ticked all those boxes and the narration was very pleasant to listen to: a pleasant voice with a calm style with a natural pace, and the right amount and type of emotion where called for. This made the story easy to follow despite the distraction of work - and made it easier to work despite listening to a narration. Thank you for making such a great video. I will be looking into your other ones as well after this, and I hope they are equally good. The other comments on this video make me hopeful they are.
This vid was in my recommended's and I didn't click it because of the cringey channel name lol. Watched a shorter vid on the British boys dying in on a German mountain and when she cited her sources I was in love. Absolutely stellar content. 417k subs w/ 8 videos. You deserve it.
I watched the PBS episode on this a long time ago, I don't remember the name of the guy. But I do remember them talking about the fingerprint not matching, so that wasn't as big of a shock watching this since I already knew that was coming. 37:20 *chef's kiss* excellent GTA reference down to the 5 star part. 1:21:10 yes he believes he's innocent and yes he believes he's the hero. That is what delusions and narcissism do to a person. And yes it was arrogance that he thought he was untouchable, it happens to all criminals after getting away for long enough. one thing you didn't bring up was the incorrect finger print not identified. Orr was on the list of the 10 people. 1:23:40 don't you apologize for taking your time making this great content.
Well done documentary! What a sad story!! 😢 I’m looking forward to watching your other videos and I hope to see more from you! It’s always exciting finding a good channel!! ❤👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
holy shit this is such an incredible video. thank you. literally one of the best quality, story telling and perfect video essays. im so happy i discovered your channel, and i cant wait to see what more content you put out🫶🏼
@@jackskudlarek3138 No, I'm doing this because I find people interesting. We shouldn't reduce a person to an inhuman monster, because everything they do, they do for a reason, not out of inherent evilness. Most people don't want to be evil. They act on very human instincts and emotions. They decide based on previous experiences and genetics. Some people were born "different", some were raised "different" some experienced certain events that led them to a certain path in life I want to learn more about why people are as they are; a mindset of good people vs bad people doesn't work for that...
@@jackskudlarek3138 what this guy did is very common for criminals. They try to rationalize and justify their crimes by any means, because they want to see themselves as "a good person".
@@jackskudlarek3138 I disagree. No animal other than the human race would think this. When an animal kills, for food, defense, or simply for entertainment, they do not rationalise this act. They simply do it based on their urges or instincts. Only a human can think, "It's too bad a child died from my crime, but, that's simply collateral. It is not on me." It's not about reaction, it's simply the truth.
frito bandito, cointosser and pillow pirate are the craziest nicknames for a serial arsonist and i salute you for being able to say these without laughing
The fact that the arsonist remembered what flavor of ice cream that little boy wanted and recollected it in detail is incredibly disturbing. And blaming a woman and her grandchild for dying in a fire for "behaving stupidly" and absolving himself of murder... I can't imagine how the victims' families, especially Billy, felt hearing that chapter be read in court.
I simply cannot believe that you’re a one woman team. Some of the best work I’ve seen on RUclips in my tens of years on this site. You should be… unbelievably proud of what you’ve created here.
When a RUclips channel has all of 8 videos and still has managed to amass almost 400k subs it's a pretty clear testament to the quality of those videos.
I think a real 'devil is in the details' moment can be had at 55:22 when you realise that he wrote "It wasn't my fault" in a book that is written in third person.
@@michaelsurratt1864 if that was the case he would've said "it wasn't his fault", the rest of the text passage around the sentence is written in the third person. Grammatically its incorrect to use "my" in a book that is written in such a way (which it is, it's written from the perspective of the fictional character, not from the author, so in the third person), let alone change from third person perspective to first person perspective. A proper Freudian slip.
This documentary is incredibly good. It's thoroughly researched, well-produced, narrated clearly and professionally, and above all, it remembers and respects those who died. Jim Obdam really deserves to be remembered for his heroism during the Ole's fire. He wasn't a cop and didn't chase after criminals or carry a gun, he was a retail employee who found himself in a horrible situation and chose to risk his life to try and rescue complete strangers. That's a level of true bravery and heroism I don't think John Orr and his loose-cannon cop fantasy realize exists. Jim probably felt horrible that he couldn't save Ada and Matthew, but he did so much more than many people would have.
the fact you specified the part about the boy getting icecream after the trip to the store meant he was probably going to die, but i still froze up when you named him. dude didn't even get a chance to live yet, gut wrenching
55:00 the pov switch from “not his fault” to “not my fault” in one paragraph. seems like it’s absolutely telling of John’s feelings given everything else in the book
It is but it does make sense considering his psychological profile: an insecure, unstable personality who craved recognition. This is just a guess, but I'm thinking in his head he initially thought they'd connect the dots and there'd be widespread talk of a serial arsonist on the loose (akin to serial killers), and when they didn't and there wasn't the only way for him to get recongition for his acts was to write the book. I'd bet he rationalized it by thinking that no-one will notice (after all, they hadn't connected the dots in over a decade, so one can kinda see how he thought the system would be clueless) and he's going to become a somewhat famous author. Or he's going to get caught, but even in that case, he'd get his fame.
John probably: I'm going to write a self-insert novel about the arsonist. They'll never suspect it's actually m-- I mean it's totally not me, I promise. (gets arrested) John: surprisedPikachuface.jpg
The fact that we've culturally reached a point where "GTA-style" is an unironic term to describe rampaging is crazy, yet everyone knows what it means, and how it shows crime beyond that of normal criminals.
i wonder what that says about such a famous game, that unthinkable amounts of violence describes it. i'm not one of those "games = violence" people, but i do wonder about the general effects of in-game violence on people 's psyche ://
@@fidelio9301 There's evidence that there's short term increases in aggression during play, but also the glorification of violence in media is directly linked to greater acceptance of violence in real life. It's not a direct case of "videogames = violence IRL" but there's a definite link. It's not the exact same, but look up the pyramid of domestic violence causes; it sounds insane, but the "lesser" crimes of referring to women with demeaning language does literally, eventually, link to actual, physical violence.
I’ve watched TV documentaries on this case over the years, but this is the first time I’ve heard a detailed description of Ole’s layout, and this is the most descriptive, evocative story of that fire. You’re an amazing creator!
Not to mention the anecdote about John and his ex wife at the end. I've never heard that before. And all the documentaries I've watched never went into too much detail of the investigation.
I'm always hesitant listening to true crime due to how often lost lives are brushed passed in favor of the drama, but listening to each victim be named and for us to be reminded of their lives and loved ones was really touching and respectful.
I love that these videos aren't just pumped out true crime media you can put on in the background all day. They are hard to watch just as any video about loss of life should be. Made the people feel like people, people who died in a horrifying way and must have been scared beyond what we could imagine. (jeezus imagine how that grandmother must have felt dying beside her grandson, shit could keep a person up at night)
i think 90% of “true crime” is exploitative, sensationalist trash, so i’m always super wary of it, but i agree - this is handled with sensitivity and actually has a story worth telling. not just some horse’s ass youtuber describing a tragedy as if it’s a ‘mystery’, or some other nonsense
And to top it off, we were also told what they did at the time and why they were there. Something that's often also forgotten about. There aren't many channels that do this. Scary Interesting and Coffeehouse Crime are two that does. Part Time Explorer also does when telling the history of America and American disasters, so does Barely and Slightly Sociable, plus Brick Immortar and Solar Sands the few times they talk about true crime. Fascinating Horror doesn't, but he does provide memorial screens and time to acknowledge their existence and mourn their passing, which is fine as his channel is mostly for quick information about certain disasters, essentially providing bite sized samples of history
It reminded me of my first experience with death, a classmate’s mother who passed in a home fire. There was this period of desperate wishing from all of us in the school that perhaps her mother had escaped, before it was confirmed she had not. I felt that sorrow again when hearing Billy’s story. It’s such a gutteral helpless experience, and this video truly feels like a memorial rather than any sort of glorification of the criminal behind it.
I have to give it to y'all, I've watched a lot break downs of stuff like this (true crime, disaster documenters, mass casualty events etc.) and considered myself desensitized to it all but something about how you told about those first killed brought me to tears. I don't know what it was, cause it's not an uncommon format to give background on specific victims and then tell the story of how they died, but it really got me this time.
Homeboy really wrote not one but two OC-do-not-steal smarter-than-thou self inserts about the crimes he himself committed. "By the way, I'm not the arsonist"
This is legit one of the best executed RUclips videos I’ve ever seen. The balance between fact and emotional weight injected into the narrative of the video is amazing. Such respect for the actual lives that were affected by this case presented in a way that is on par with a Hollywood blockbuster.
Absolutely. I believe the narrator was as good as Peter Thomas, a master at interjecting the right emotional weight into the otherwise dry episodes of forensic files.
This one has me thinking. I used to be mean and vindictive, but never acted on it. Several things happened in my life that could have boiled over into me being a monster. I found help and i found love. John, however, is someone i could find myself being a monster towards. Everything this boy did came from deep insecurity and instead of taking accountibility and fix himself, he not only destroyed lives but ended some too. All the while stuck in his dillusion of being some kind of anti-hero. Those poor people had nothing to do with him. He chose to make sure others had to suffer. Heck that dude.
lol STFU your still a monster if you were ever capable of setting fire to some building with people in it. You’re a pssy, imagine having sympathy for this pig fck. I’d make sure you didn’t do shit you freak.
I don't wanna be a nerd but it's delusion, dillusion sounds like a chemistry noun or adjective. I can see where the confusion comes from though unless someone pronounces it like "the" with "thee"
That closing minute was jarring. Genuinely can not comprehend that it's just one person behind this channel. I could've sworn you were a hired narrator, a team of editors, and a graphic designer, at minimum. You absolutely deserve your success and more.
Not even finished yet but the narration, the story telling, the 3d elements??? There's a reason this channel is so popular with so few videos, it's well deserved
Your writing style and narration are simply masterful. Technically, I'm taking a night stroll around my city, that is somewhere in Central Europe, but I don't see it. You've transported me in time to erratic Los Angeles. I feel like I can taste the hot air while being amongst the heroes, the victims and the villains of this heartbreaking story of power abuse and betrayal.
ever heard of Serhiy Tkach? police officer turned killer (100+ people) then had a kid while in prison with some girl who was obsessed with him being a killer. crazy case, great video btw!
Yeah, I kept coming across that little guy when I was looking in newspaper archives! He has a sombrero and whip for some reason. Really made me want a bag of Fritos.
The care and respect shown to those who died was so touching, so often people just mention the casualties and then move on. But it is a testament to your storytelling ability and tact to show such respect when talking about the tragedy.
I don't understand how this is so high quality. You should literally be lead writing for large organizations! This was an absolute masterpiece of storytelling presentation
@@Happy_dad-77they’re probably aware, i’ve never seen a donation over $15 let alone $25. an amazing display of kindness and appreciation for the content.
11:25 Wow. This was genuinely so beautiful, I usually don't like true crime because of how sensationalized it can be but what a deeply kind and compassionate way of approaching journalism on the subject. Thank you for making this.
Your longest video yet and it is SO GOOD. Love your victim-centric approach, never downplaying or sensationalizing what happened to the victims and never portraying the perpetrators as anything but monsters
Not even 20 minutes in and my eyes are sweaty. I really love how this channel emphasizes the fact that the lives lost in tragedy aren't just numbers, but are people who lived lives. A lot of the times videos like this skim past the names of people and you tend to forget the value that each life holds. It feels really respectful the way that you portray them
I remember studying this case during the arson unit in my forensic class. John was still teaching from prison & he is more than willing to give the details from his case as if he is an expert on it & not the one that committed it. it was deeply upsetting, especially as I've grown up around the cities he terrorized years before I was born. my parents & grandparents remember those fires & the fear. amazing video! really enjoyed it & look forward to the next!
Honestly one of the most surprising parts of this whole story is learning that at least at some point in their history, the LAPD conducted psychological testing on applicants and actually screened out an emotionally unstable dangerous lunatic. Nowadays they'd probably consider that part of the qualifications for hiring.
10:10 If there is a flash over fire that is over 1000° wouldn't the METAL ROLLER DOORS be nearly impossible to open manually and hold it open and having all of the hot air rush out that way
Same, I felt like I had come across such a special gem when I found this channel a few months back. But I’ve been worried there might not be another upload, so an hour and 25 mins of content is awesome. Her voice is such a good fit for this content, really gives it the emotional resonance it deserves.
9:35 this wasn’t a flashover in the technical sense. If it was there’s be no surviving accounts. A flashover doesn’t require a standard temperature but more so one that meets the auto ignition point of the combustible material. Eg the ignition point of my 3d printing lab is that of the lowest ignition point of the most flammable materials: isopropyl alcohol for me. Meaning without a flame, if it gets hot enough it’ll ignore. Or in cases of introduction of a flame, that lowers dramatically down to 55C . The vapor build up in an enclosed space make flashover possible. Without these combustible material serving as flammability sources, you can’t have a flashover in an open space like a “football pitch” size warehouse. There’s too many ventilation sources. It is possible but you’d have to choke O2 and the room be sealed. This is why hyper sealed compartments especially with any combustible material are usually flashover scenes. Think airplanes. If this warehouse had combustible material and the heat was extreme and flammable material fueled the growth rapidly then yes the gas build up even in a small warehouse I could see. But def not a large one. I can’t find any observed instances of this but again that doesn’t make it impossible to unlikely. I hate this guy so I just wanted to add this caveat bc thankfully this pos never figured out how to induce flashover or he’d have killed many more
I didn't know this was literally a one person a one person channel. That's astonishing. The research, the story-telling, the structure, the voice-over, the footage is all excellent.
Watch the White Vault right here on RUclips: bit.ly/3UVzASX (or wherever you get your podcasts).
You really out did yourself with this one 🎉🎈🎊
You are so awesome you made me completely reevaluate my views on the British
you did a wonderful job it was an amazing video and you covered the deaths of the four victims with such grace. thank you!
This sponsor pulled my attention more than the video could because, having listened to it, I was so absolutely ready to hear how it connected to the context of the rest of the video. lol
I cant believe I didnt connect your voice to the white vault, Ive been listening to it for quite a while now too
The absolute Freudian slip of starting an introspective piece in 3rd person about the acts committed by your character and then ending it with a 1st person remark.
The audacity of this man. Absolutely amazing documentary.
I had to pause the video just to re-read that. It doesn’t make sense as a narrative technique; it really was the man ‘working through’ his own thoughts on the murders he committed. Absolutely wild.
@@ianm1462I just couldn’t believe how he actually wrote that and went “yep that’s believable” and it’s just jaw dropping every time I hear it
YES. I couldn't believe that wasn't mentioned because, as ap writer, i noticed it immediately
Yeah, he was a dumbass. “But shit, it wasn’t my fault.”
Bad writers often change from one perspective to another. Considering he was probably on his first draft I dont think it's too far fetched to say it could have just been a writing error.
"There's no way John would write all his crimes down in a book and try to get it published"
[Always Sunny music begins to play]
Who wrote that book "(if) I DID IT" ..?
@@macswanton9622 OJ Simpson hahaha
"The Gang Breaks The Son Of Sam Law"
They not only worked in Iraq, those shock and Orr tactics.
The gang goes Jihad (again)
Narrator’s voice and cadence in relating the events to the audience is truly gifted.
The narration on this channel isn’t praised enough. It’s softer on the ears, easier to listen to than most other amateur documentarians on RUclips. This really is professional in every way.
yes!!! the voice is so nice to listen to
Yes. Lemmino is great too.
@@tridipboro7584 About to say this reminds me of Lemmino
Female version of Lemmino 😍
The animation is brilliant as well. I do a spot of 3D animation myself and I like the subtleties in this. The angles used when looking at documents, dof, smoothness etc. all in all an excellent job on all fronts. 🙃👍
The Narators voice hits me in the feels more than most. Excellent production and writing on this channel.
During the explanation of the numerous fires. I immediately thought "Its someone who works in the fire department or the police department." Most arsonists are thorough but won't conduct that many fires because they know they will get caught quickly. Its someone who is far too comfortable in starting fires.
I've lived in LA for nearly 13 years, have a lot of family here, am a born & bred Californian, and never knew about these fires. Horrifying. The lack of interdepartmental communication reminds me of the Zodiac case, another California one. Sigh. So much could be solved much faster by collaboration, I really don't get why it isn't a priority in these kinds of things. Glad it eventually ended up in collaboration at least.
Thank you for the brilliant work as always.
Not sure about Orr, but I think Zodiac did that on purpose, to slow down the investigation.
@@BX138 oof yeah. Certainly would make sense.
A lot of it was simply the time period. Nobody had computers, especially in smaller cities/towns, and even when they did it took decades for the data to be compiled into databases that could be accessed by multiple agencies. It was a different world.. everything was forms and paper files stuck in a storage room somewhere. At the time they did the first fingerprint search it most likely involved a series of individual phone calls to each agency, a request put in to a clerk who would make a photo copy of the original document which was then faxed to the inspector.. a process that probably took a week or more with ten agencies to contact and wait for response from ..and then those low resolution images would be compared visually. These days you pop open software, update your sample, and it can search the entire country in a few hours at most, with a result that not only shows matches but anything close within a percentage of probability.
Lived in Pasadena for years. Only older people even know this story, and they don’t like talking about it.
The fires started 40 years ago, in the 1980s. Unless you're in your 50s or older, you wouldn't have really heard about them or cared about them much. Not really an issue of communication in that case.
Holy-- This is just spectacularly made, way better than almost all documentaries I have seen, online or offline. Good enough to give people like Barely Sociable and Lemmino a run for their money.
Keep up the amazing work.
And ofc, thank you for making all these great vids
Yooo I read Joseph Wambaugh’s Fire Lover last year and could not put it down, was shocked how little coverage the story seemed to get elsewhere.
ETA: Wrote this comment upon clicking since I was so excited to see this story covered- you did a PHENOMENAL job in every respect, instant sub from me! It was such a perfect complement to the book to get such clean, well-constructed visuals, as well as real photos and footage of the people involved. Sending love from the too-hot-but-thankfully-a-little-less-dry-this-year California Central Valley! 🥵
Babe wake up real horror posted‼️‼️‼️‼️‼️
Oh... that's right...
The only reason I’ll ever wake her from a nap is when this channel drops a new one.
Babe wake up real horror is outside our door
@@xenondestiny dont live in fear
Original RUclips Comment™
My house was set on fire by a serial arsonist/murderer with both me and my dog inside the home. It’s been almost two and a half years since that day, but after countless continuances, the trial has FINALLY began.
I’ve lost so much, but I still have my life and my dogs still with me. I finally got to give my testimony this past week and I got all of the evidence I gathered admitted as evidence which was huge! But the weight hasn’t lifted yet like I’d hoped it would. I guess just like with everything else in life…
it’s a process.
Update when you can. Hug your pups.
The fact that you're the only one working on these videos is insane. These videos are amazing
Brilliant video. Can't believe how much work must have went into this. Can't complain about the low release frequency with this quality, hot damn
18:51 Dr Park Williams states that “ in pretty much every way, a perfect recipe for fire is just […] written into California.” Unfortunately, so many neglect that most of California’s wild fires can be widely attributed to a failure of proper forestry management and general risk management. Californians tend to believe wood and grasslands should be self-managed with minimal human involvement. As humans encroach into these areas they are more impacted by even small fires that (thousands-millions of years ago) could be permitted to burn without negative human interaction.
Not even a full five minutes in and I immediately caught on to your new way of reading the script. Excellent production value on an excellent video!
I just want to say now, having paused at 1 second in, that I'm at the blissful moment of knowing I'm about to bloody love this next hour and a half. Your content is just awesome. More power to you!
So I'm at home, sick, and youtubes algorithm gods decided to bless me by showing me one of your videos in my home feed. I then proceeded to watch all of your videos. If I could give your videos a rating they'd be 20/10. The production quality is unreal. So visually interesting. Such interesting topics. Such a soothing voice despite the hard subject matter. So thorough and clearly well researched. I have nothing but good things to say. I can't wait for the next video!
Can't believe I watched this all the way through without getting bored, good work. Thanks
Awesome job! I grew up in Burbank in the 80's and 90's and vaguely remember this story because of all the chaos that goes on in L.A. (i.e. the Rodney King beating and subsequent riots, O.J. Simpson trial, Northridge earthquake, etc...)
50:00 I LOVE your sense of humor. Great video as always!!
The frinto bandito is by far the best nickname. They should have kept it for legacy purposes.
I'm constantly blown away by each video released from this channel, but this whole documentary takes the cake! The quality, the effort to put this together and put the victims at the forefront, had me captivated from start to finish, just wow
I love your channel. And I love that you just dropped that horror podcast on us! I drive for work so I’m always - ALWAYS - on the lookout for a good horror podcast. I’ve run out of R/NoSleep shows, so now I’m sifting through the rest of the genre trying to find something that resonates. I’ll give this show a shot today. Thank you!
The production value, including scripting, imagery, sound quality, and just general thoroughness of the subject matter on these videos is _astounding_ for such a young channel. I cannot wait to see your next project. (And the one after it. And the one after that...)
This is the most respectful true crime channel ive seen
This is a masterpiece. Im not even really sure what to say. Keep making videos and people will watch them. I've just subscribed
Im always so amazed at the production of these videos, absolutely love it !!
You, Lemmino and Nexpo are the holy trinity of investigation documentaries in my book.
Thank you so much for you hard work. It's absolutely amazing. 🙏
Oki's Weird Stories is my all time fave. Barely Sociable too.
Great channel. Animation and Narration. I like how videos have wildly different lengths, I feel like alot of detail is kept in and not shortened (to much) to meet a video length target. Although a different style, this reminds me abit of the Lemino channel, also a great channel. Best wishes all.
great video! first time watcher here very impressed!
this is seriously like the best true crime documentary ive ever watched
Glad you're back! 🙌
YES!!! You just made my week 100x better
Omg! I missed you!
I don't remember the last time a crime show has made me tear up as bad as those first 11 minutes did here, you truly painted a devastating and heart breaking scenario 😢
"By the way, I am not the arsonist" should have been the title 😂
You TRULY rock with your presentations…ALWAYS!! Thank you again for BRILLIANTLY putting together a well researched & well documented video. GR8LY appreciated 💕
Watched it multiple times already. Great video!
Such an amazing video and quality production! The graphics really help me get a sense of the story along with the VO - very captivating.
This is a great video! I like how you set up the story/drama (in the framing of the video), and your narration is really smooth. Feels like a nice television documentary.
I remember listening to the news on the way to work saying ," a fire chief or captain was arrested for settong fires to increase his departments federal funding .😮
Your videos are so great!! Well done!
This is the first video of yours that I 'consumed'. I am always looking for something I can listen to while working, but also has visuals that add something without being absolutely necessary, for my breaks. This video ticked all those boxes and the narration was very pleasant to listen to: a pleasant voice with a calm style with a natural pace, and the right amount and type of emotion where called for. This made the story easy to follow despite the distraction of work - and made it easier to work despite listening to a narration.
Thank you for making such a great video. I will be looking into your other ones as well after this, and I hope they are equally good. The other comments on this video make me hopeful they are.
This gives amazing LEMMiNO vibes, absolutely fantastic video
This vid was in my recommended's and I didn't click it because of the cringey channel name lol.
Watched a shorter vid on the British boys dying in on a German mountain and when she cited her sources I was in love.
Absolutely stellar content. 417k subs w/ 8 videos. You deserve it.
Easily one of the best channels on RUclips
Love this channel, such brilliant story telling!!
I watched the PBS episode on this a long time ago, I don't remember the name of the guy. But I do remember them talking about the fingerprint not matching, so that wasn't as big of a shock watching this since I already knew that was coming.
37:20 *chef's kiss* excellent GTA reference down to the 5 star part.
1:21:10 yes he believes he's innocent and yes he believes he's the hero. That is what delusions and narcissism do to a person. And yes it was arrogance that he thought he was untouchable, it happens to all criminals after getting away for long enough.
one thing you didn't bring up was the incorrect finger print not identified. Orr was on the list of the 10 people.
1:23:40 don't you apologize for taking your time making this great content.
Insanely well done 😮 thank you for a great documentary!
the ray liotta joke... impeccable.
Stories and production quality are 10/10
Well done documentary! What a sad story!! 😢 I’m looking forward to watching your other videos and I hope to see more from you! It’s always exciting finding a good channel!! ❤👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
holy shit this is such an incredible video. thank you. literally one of the best quality, story telling and perfect video essays. im so happy i discovered your channel, and i cant wait to see what more content you put out🫶🏼
The fact that the Witness descriptions of john called him 'Average' must have infuriated him
Lol
Average is probably flattering in his case.
@@AndreNDP came here to say exactly that - I would have described him as "dumpy looking"
Lol absolutely.
Psychologist: You have a problem with authority and are not allowed to join
John: No I don't, look at this test I went and got that says I can
"It was too bad about the baby, but shit, it wasn't my fault."
Jesus. What a cold-blooded line.
@@jackskudlarek3138 actually, very human... still wrong
Yeah. That in particular made me gasp aloud.
@@jackskudlarek3138 No, I'm doing this because I find people interesting. We shouldn't reduce a person to an inhuman monster, because everything they do, they do for a reason, not out of inherent evilness.
Most people don't want to be evil. They act on very human instincts and emotions. They decide based on previous experiences and genetics. Some people were born "different", some were raised "different" some experienced certain events that led them to a certain path in life
I want to learn more about why people are as they are; a mindset of good people vs bad people doesn't work for that...
@@jackskudlarek3138 what this guy did is very common for criminals.
They try to rationalize and justify their crimes by any means, because they want to see themselves as "a good person".
@@jackskudlarek3138 I disagree. No animal other than the human race would think this. When an animal kills, for food, defense, or simply for entertainment, they do not rationalise this act. They simply do it based on their urges or instincts. Only a human can think, "It's too bad a child died from my crime, but, that's simply collateral. It is not on me."
It's not about reaction, it's simply the truth.
frito bandito, cointosser and pillow pirate are the craziest nicknames for a serial arsonist and i salute you for being able to say these without laughing
its pillow pyro but still funny lol
😂
That strategies highlight on the word "tosser" 😂 Isn't it the UK equivalent of "jerkwad"?
I wonder how pissed the guy was at being given these "cool" nicknames.
@@CloozyBadoozy pillow pyro my bad still funny asf
The fact that the arsonist remembered what flavor of ice cream that little boy wanted and recollected it in detail is incredibly disturbing. And blaming a woman and her grandchild for dying in a fire for "behaving stupidly" and absolving himself of murder... I can't imagine how the victims' families, especially Billy, felt hearing that chapter be read in court.
I simply cannot believe that you’re a one woman team. Some of the best work I’ve seen on RUclips in my tens of years on this site. You should be… unbelievably proud of what you’ve created here.
One person*
@@stupidmangoz that works too.
(I get you btw, but they're obviously referring to the way people say "a one men X")
I know, right? She's truly a wonderful spirit.
Anyhow, why are there so many crazy people / criminals in the UK, from all of Europe?Meh
When a RUclips channel has all of 8 videos and still has managed to amass almost 400k subs it's a pretty clear testament to the quality of those videos.
I haven’t witnessed something like that happen since Barely Sociable.
Not to mention a million views on almost all of them. Quality over quantity.
Indeed. Quality over quantity all day! The sheer amount of research and effort put into these videos is incredible.
Prime example of quality over quantity. A rare thing in modern RUclips.
Yeah, these AI bots are getting really good.
I think a real 'devil is in the details' moment can be had at 55:22 when you realise that he wrote "It wasn't my fault" in a book that is written in third person.
NGL I actually gasped at that
Well In the story the criminal is thinking to himself
@@michaelsurratt1864 Maybe oogle what 3rd person means
@@canoaslan1011 yeah I was wrong. I rewatched it.
@@michaelsurratt1864 if that was the case he would've said "it wasn't his fault", the rest of the text passage around the sentence is written in the third person. Grammatically its incorrect to use "my" in a book that is written in such a way (which it is, it's written from the perspective of the fictional character, not from the author, so in the third person), let alone change from third person perspective to first person perspective. A proper Freudian slip.
You already know Marv was insufferable at the next Arson Investigators Conference after John was charged lol
fr 💀
This documentary is incredibly good. It's thoroughly researched, well-produced, narrated clearly and professionally, and above all, it remembers and respects those who died.
Jim Obdam really deserves to be remembered for his heroism during the Ole's fire. He wasn't a cop and didn't chase after criminals or carry a gun, he was a retail employee who found himself in a horrible situation and chose to risk his life to try and rescue complete strangers. That's a level of true bravery and heroism I don't think John Orr and his loose-cannon cop fantasy realize exists. Jim probably felt horrible that he couldn't save Ada and Matthew, but he did so much more than many people would have.
the fact you specified the part about the boy getting icecream after the trip to the store meant he was probably going to die, but i still froze up when you named him. dude didn't even get a chance to live yet, gut wrenching
55:00 the pov switch from “not his fault” to “not my fault” in one paragraph. seems like it’s absolutely telling of John’s feelings given everything else in the book
I caught that one too..
I got absolute chills when she read that line
I wonder if they left that in the final draft of the book. It is insane to me that it even got published...
It's truly sickening that this is the way he chooses to write about the death of a small child.
i was looking for a comment pointing this out so i could like it
The Frito Bandito has got to be the funniest nickname for a serial criminal I have ever heard. 😂😂
The guilt I feel for how hard I laughed at that name....
“The potato chip file” lmao
I remember hearing this name as a kid and thinking it was a chip mascot, not an arsonist
@@yerabbit Frito-lay used " the Frito Bandito " in the television commercial.
What about The Butt Bandit in London from a few years ago?
The fact that John wrote his crimes in a book and tried to publish it is just wild
If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer, written by OJ Simpson
It is but it does make sense considering his psychological profile: an insecure, unstable personality who craved recognition. This is just a guess, but I'm thinking in his head he initially thought they'd connect the dots and there'd be widespread talk of a serial arsonist on the loose (akin to serial killers), and when they didn't and there wasn't the only way for him to get recongition for his acts was to write the book. I'd bet he rationalized it by thinking that no-one will notice (after all, they hadn't connected the dots in over a decade, so one can kinda see how he thought the system would be clueless) and he's going to become a somewhat famous author. Or he's going to get caught, but even in that case, he'd get his fame.
John probably: I'm going to write a self-insert novel about the arsonist. They'll never suspect it's actually m-- I mean it's totally not me, I promise.
(gets arrested)
John: surprisedPikachuface.jpg
What's that quote? Hubris is the downfall of man.
Casual criminalist rule number 1: Don't write down your crimes
The chapter cut in of 'he wrote a book about it and tried to publish it' really caught me off guard, my jaw dropped 😂
Same, LOL
Having watched the 1995 Nova episode on this, I knew that was coming and was already laughing knowing it was coming.
@@blepblep7245OJ simpson
The fact that we've culturally reached a point where "GTA-style" is an unironic term to describe rampaging is crazy, yet everyone knows what it means, and how it shows crime beyond that of normal criminals.
i wonder what that says about such a famous game, that unthinkable amounts of violence describes it. i'm not one of those "games = violence" people, but i do wonder about the general effects of in-game violence on people 's psyche ://
@@jesss101 It doesn’t affect people at all. It’s a game.
@@fidelio9301 That’s not what updated research says but ok, keep living in the 90s. 😂
@@caittails Cry snowflake
@@fidelio9301 There's evidence that there's short term increases in aggression during play, but also the glorification of violence in media is directly linked to greater acceptance of violence in real life. It's not a direct case of "videogames = violence IRL" but there's a definite link.
It's not the exact same, but look up the pyramid of domestic violence causes; it sounds insane, but the "lesser" crimes of referring to women with demeaning language does literally, eventually, link to actual, physical violence.
I’ve watched TV documentaries on this case over the years, but this is the first time I’ve heard a detailed description of Ole’s layout, and this is the most descriptive, evocative story of that fire. You’re an amazing creator!
She IS, isn't she?❤
Not to mention the anecdote about John and his ex wife at the end. I've never heard that before. And all the documentaries I've watched never went into too much detail of the investigation.
Agree! This is the first time I've ever understood exactly what went wrong at Ole's. Just terrifying.
Credit where due, saying 'potato chips' must have been ...difficult
I'm always hesitant listening to true crime due to how often lost lives are brushed passed in favor of the drama, but listening to each victim be named and for us to be reminded of their lives and loved ones was really touching and respectful.
I love that these videos aren't just pumped out true crime media you can put on in the background all day. They are hard to watch just as any video about loss of life should be. Made the people feel like people, people who died in a horrifying way and must have been scared beyond what we could imagine.
(jeezus imagine how that grandmother must have felt dying beside her grandson, shit could keep a person up at night)
i think 90% of “true crime” is exploitative, sensationalist trash, so i’m always super wary of it, but i agree - this is handled with sensitivity and actually has a story worth telling.
not just some horse’s ass youtuber describing a tragedy as if it’s a ‘mystery’, or some other nonsense
And to top it off, we were also told what they did at the time and why they were there. Something that's often also forgotten about. There aren't many channels that do this. Scary Interesting and Coffeehouse Crime are two that does. Part Time Explorer also does when telling the history of America and American disasters, so does Barely and Slightly Sociable, plus Brick Immortar and Solar Sands the few times they talk about true crime. Fascinating Horror doesn't, but he does provide memorial screens and time to acknowledge their existence and mourn their passing, which is fine as his channel is mostly for quick information about certain disasters, essentially providing bite sized samples of history
It reminded me of my first experience with death, a classmate’s mother who passed in a home fire. There was this period of desperate wishing from all of us in the school that perhaps her mother had escaped, before it was confirmed she had not. I felt that sorrow again when hearing Billy’s story. It’s such a gutteral helpless experience, and this video truly feels like a memorial rather than any sort of glorification of the criminal behind it.
I agree
I have to give it to y'all, I've watched a lot break downs of stuff like this (true crime, disaster documenters, mass casualty events etc.) and considered myself desensitized to it all but something about how you told about those first killed brought me to tears. I don't know what it was, cause it's not an uncommon format to give background on specific victims and then tell the story of how they died, but it really got me this time.
Homeboy really wrote not one but two OC-do-not-steal smarter-than-thou self inserts about the crimes he himself committed.
"By the way, I'm not the arsonist"
14:49
I almost feel ashamed about how hard I laughed at “Frito Bandito”.
Don't worry, I did too. Honestly kudos to the narrator for being able to say that as many times as they did with a serious tone
i suddenly cracked up and was like- wait what? had to rewind
You shouldnt, its stoken in anti-hispanic racist propaganda and shifted the focus away from the true culprit , a white man
LMFAOO NO ME TOO LMFAOOO
At that time ." Frito Bandito " was a popular television commercial.
This is legit one of the best executed RUclips videos I’ve ever seen. The balance between fact and emotional weight injected into the narrative of the video is amazing. Such respect for the actual lives that were affected by this case presented in a way that is on par with a Hollywood blockbuster.
I really reccomend the Helios flight video, that made me cry.
Absolutely. I believe the narrator was as good as Peter Thomas, a master at interjecting the right emotional weight into the otherwise dry episodes of forensic files.
This one has me thinking. I used to be mean and vindictive, but never acted on it. Several things happened in my life that could have boiled over into me being a monster. I found help and i found love. John, however, is someone i could find myself being a monster towards. Everything this boy did came from deep insecurity and instead of taking accountibility and fix himself, he not only destroyed lives but ended some too. All the while stuck in his dillusion of being some kind of anti-hero. Those poor people had nothing to do with him. He chose to make sure others had to suffer. Heck that dude.
lol STFU your still a monster if you were ever capable of setting fire to some building with people in it. You’re a pssy, imagine having sympathy for this pig fck. I’d make sure you didn’t do shit you freak.
I don't wanna be a nerd but it's delusion, dillusion sounds like a chemistry noun or adjective. I can see where the confusion comes from though unless someone pronounces it like "the" with "thee"
85 mins of Real Horror for the weekend is the most PHENOMENAL event possible
50:22 That transition is perfection. *chef's kiss* I am dying.
Yeah, I cackled 😂
I watched a few times. So good.
The music is what really sells it
"it'll be ridiculous-"
John: Hold my cigarettes
Perfection
That closing minute was jarring. Genuinely can not comprehend that it's just one person behind this channel. I could've sworn you were a hired narrator, a team of editors, and a graphic designer, at minimum. You absolutely deserve your success and more.
Not even finished yet but the narration, the story telling, the 3d elements??? There's a reason this channel is so popular with so few videos, it's well deserved
It reminds me of the jack the ripper video some guy made a few years ago that was real well done
@@sillygo0oser that guy was lemmino! His videos are always sooo well done
You always hold so much dignity for the lives lost that you feature in these stories.
Your writing style and narration are simply masterful. Technically, I'm taking a night stroll around my city, that is somewhere in Central Europe, but I don't see it. You've transported me in time to erratic Los Angeles. I feel like I can taste the hot air while being amongst the heroes, the victims and the villains of this heartbreaking story of power abuse and betrayal.
ever heard of Serhiy Tkach? police officer turned killer (100+ people) then had a kid while in prison with some girl who was obsessed with him being a killer. crazy case, great video btw!
Got a link by chance?
@@BDB78 i mean… google the name and find a video
Wicked people. Both of them
The "Frito Bandito" was the cartoon mascot for Fritos Corn Chips from 1967 to 1971.
Yeah, I kept coming across that little guy when I was looking in newspaper archives! He has a sombrero and whip for some reason. Really made me want a bag of Fritos.
@@AbstractBecause Fritos are Corn Chips, which was a Mexican thing just like Tortilla Chips. Frito in Spanish means "Fried".
the fried bandit?
I’m old enough to remember that commercial lol.
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The care and respect shown to those who died was so touching, so often people just mention the casualties and then move on. But it is a testament to your storytelling ability and tact to show such respect when talking about the tragedy.
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I don't understand how this is so high quality. You should literally be lead writing for large organizations! This was an absolute masterpiece of storytelling presentation
Nah its overdramtic
A masterfully created and presented yet another slice of history. Thank you for bringing such events to wider attention.
Wow! Generosity!!
this is by far the largest amount i've ever seen donated via thanks - well-deserved, if you ask me!
@justmagdalenadownhere if I googled the symbol correctly, that's in rupees so comes out to 25 USD. Still a wonderful donation nonetheless
@@Happy_dad-77 oh, i saw it in pounds ☠️ didn't look closely enough. 25 bucks is still good, indeed!
@@Happy_dad-77they’re probably aware, i’ve never seen a donation over $15 let alone $25. an amazing display of kindness and appreciation for the content.
bro that book twist was so hilarious man lmao
0:23 I spy a kitty
Meow
Kitty has a purrfect eyeview
11:25 Wow. This was genuinely so beautiful, I usually don't like true crime because of how sensationalized it can be but what a deeply kind and compassionate way of approaching journalism on the subject. Thank you for making this.
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Your longest video yet and it is SO GOOD. Love your victim-centric approach, never downplaying or sensationalizing what happened to the victims and never portraying the perpetrators as anything but monsters
Not even 20 minutes in and my eyes are sweaty. I really love how this channel emphasizes the fact that the lives lost in tragedy aren't just numbers, but are people who lived lives. A lot of the times videos like this skim past the names of people and you tend to forget the value that each life holds. It feels really respectful the way that you portray them
Right at @11:10 I started tearing up after the narrator said that
I remember studying this case during the arson unit in my forensic class. John was still teaching from prison & he is more than willing to give the details from his case as if he is an expert on it & not the one that committed it. it was deeply upsetting, especially as I've grown up around the cities he terrorized years before I was born. my parents & grandparents remember those fires & the fear.
amazing video! really enjoyed it & look forward to the next!
Oof. This made me realize he's probably continued to deny it because so much of his ego is wrapped up in being "law enforcement".
It's deeply ironic how good of a grasp he has on his own arsonist psychology, even teaching about it, yet being unable to admit to his own crimes.
Honestly one of the most surprising parts of this whole story is learning that at least at some point in their history, the LAPD conducted psychological testing on applicants and actually screened out an emotionally unstable dangerous lunatic.
Nowadays they'd probably consider that part of the qualifications for hiring.
10:10 If there is a flash over fire that is over 1000° wouldn't the METAL ROLLER DOORS be nearly impossible to open manually and hold it open and having all of the hot air rush out that way
Out of all the horror channels I listen to, you are my favorite. I get so excited when you upload!
Same, I felt like I had come across such a special gem when I found this channel a few months back. But I’ve been worried there might not be another upload, so an hour and 25 mins of content is awesome. Her voice is such a good fit for this content, really gives it the emotional resonance it deserves.
An HOUR AND A HALF???? Christmas came early!!!
Too long
9:35 this wasn’t a flashover in the technical sense. If it was there’s be no surviving accounts. A flashover doesn’t require a standard temperature but more so one that meets the auto ignition point of the combustible material. Eg the ignition point of my 3d printing lab is that of the lowest ignition point of the most flammable materials: isopropyl alcohol for me. Meaning without a flame, if it gets hot enough it’ll ignore. Or in cases of introduction of a flame, that lowers dramatically down to 55C . The vapor build up in an enclosed space make flashover possible. Without these combustible material serving as flammability sources, you can’t have a flashover in an open space like a “football pitch” size warehouse. There’s too many ventilation sources. It is possible but you’d have to choke O2 and the room be sealed. This is why hyper sealed compartments especially with any combustible material are usually flashover scenes. Think airplanes. If this warehouse had combustible material and the heat was extreme and flammable material fueled the growth rapidly then yes the gas build up even in a small warehouse I could see. But def not a large one. I can’t find any observed instances of this but again that doesn’t make it impossible to unlikely. I hate this guy so I just wanted to add this caveat bc thankfully this pos never figured out how to induce flashover or he’d have killed many more
I didn't know this was literally a one person a one person channel. That's astonishing. The research, the story-telling, the structure, the voice-over, the footage is all excellent.