Rolla insurance agent charged with arson

An insurance agent from Rolla has been accused of arson after allegedly hired others to set fire to his residence in March of 2012.

Christopher R. Blair, 39, who is an agent with Farmers Insurance in Rolla, has been charged with arson in the second degree, a Class C felony.

Blair was arrested Tuesday but has since been released from the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department after posting bond, which was set at $25,000.

Raymond Doug Isgrigg, one of the individuals who was allegedly paid to set the fire, also faces a charge of arson in the second degree.

No other individuals have been charged at this time, according to Missouri case.net.

According to court documents, Blair also filed a claim on the fire and in April of 2012, he received $64,400. No charges have been filed regarding his insurance claim, according to case.net.

The fire occurred around 1:41 a.m. on March 27, 2012, in the 1500 block of Spencer Street in Rolla.

The City of Rolla Fire and Rescue responded to the fire and after extinguishing it, the department called for an investigation, saying it was suspicious in nature, according to the statement.

The Missouri State Fire Marshal’s Office conducted the investigation, which determined the fire to be incendiary in nature.

During the course of the investigation, it was learned that Blair, the owner of the structure that burned, allegedly paid one of his employees $100 to have the house destroyed. That employee then paid two other individuals, including Isgrigg, $50 each to set the house on fire.

Court documents also stated that Blair’s employee attempted to take his own life during the investigation due to the stress.

During the course of the investigation, the fire marshal’s office learned that Blair’s residence was secured when firefighters from the Rolla Fire Department arrived. Firefighters had to force entry into the residence to extinguish the blaze.

According to one of the investigators, there were “burn patterns, located on the kitchen floor leading into the living room and up the steps that were consistent with the burning of an ignitable liquid. There was no other reason for these patterns to exist...There was no accidental cause that would cause the burn pattern found at the scene.”