Suspect charged in alleged arson of MSU Mankato fraternity house; fire displaces eight
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A Mankato man was charged for allegedly setting a MSU Mankato fraternity house on fire earlier this week while eight students were sleeping inside.
Mitchell John Thompson, 32, of Mankato is charged with one count of first-degree felony arson, which carries a maximum 20-year prison sentence. He was caught on security cameras allegedly lighting fire to bed sheets of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house, which is the Minnesota State University, Mankato MN Gamma chapter, according to the criminal complaint.
Around 5 a.m. on Sept. 15, police and firefighters found the porch roof of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity house in flames on Lincoln Street. The kitchen, lounge, study area and meeting room were all heavily damaged from the fire.
No one was injured during the incident, but eight members of the fraternity were temporarily displaced and are currently housed at a local hotel in Mankato. According to a Mankato Public Safety press release, damage estimates were around $50,000.
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A GoFundMe for the fraternity to rebuild the house, continue chapter activities and provide counseling services to fraternity members has raised a total of over $19,000 as of Friday afternoon.
“Thankfully, all of our brothers are safe, but the partial, but not total loss of our chapter house is a heartbreaking blow,” wrote Adam Klotz, organizer of the GoFundMe and Phi Kappa Psi alumni volunteer treasurer.
“For many of us, this house wasn’t just a building. It was a home filled with memories, camaraderie, and lifelong friendships. It was the place where we built our bond as brothers, where we celebrated triumphs, supported each other through challenges, and made lifelong connections.”
Court documents say the officers spoke with one witness who said he saw a man standing across the street from the fraternity house while it started to burn. The witness shouted at the man, saying the house was on fire, and the man “just turned and began walking away from the residence.”
It was then the witness went and banged on the door of the house to alert those inside of the fire. The witness noticed that the man started running away from the scene.
Officers later obtained surveillance video from outside the fraternity house, according to court documents. Around 4:43 a.m. footage showed a man, later identified as Thompson wearing a white T-shirt and shorts walking up onto the porch and looking into a window for some period of time. The footage shows Thompson then kicking over a porch table and leaving the porch.
The video then shows him trying the combination lock to the door and shaking the door knob. About a minute later, Thompson then stood near the front walkway when he returned to the porch, took something out of his pocket and lit three hanging bedsheets on fire, which spread while eight people inside were sleeping.
Police then arrested Thompson at his residence. He was booked at the Blue Earth County Jail.
Thompson’s unconditional bail is set at $1 million, and $500,000 with conditions such as avoiding alcohol, not possessing firearms and appearing at all court hearings while submitting to GPS monitoring.
His next court appearance is set for Sept. 25.
