Suspect arrested in connection with Northampton fires

Anthony P. Baye, age 25, was arrested for two counts of murder and one count of arson and armed burglary in the deaths of Paul Yeskie, Sr. and his son Paul Yeskie, Jr. Baye has pled not guilty.

The Northampton, Mass. residents died Dec. 27 when they couldn't escape the fire that had been started on the porch of their 2-story Fair Street home. The blaze at the Yeskie residence was one of at least nine fires set Sunday night -- some set at other houses, and some set in cars. Baye has been arrested solely in connection with the Fair Street fire.

The recent fires that have ravaged the western Mass. college town, taking the lives of two residents, were reported to be similar to a series of fires set in Provincetown in 2007.

The Cape Cod town was scourged by nearly twenty fires set by a serial arsonist or arsonists -- although P-town never experienced more than three fires in one night, and no one was ever harmed in the blazes.

"As mysteriously as they started, they just stopped," Provincetown fire chief Michael Trovato told the Hartford Courant Jan. 1. "I know there were a few people who were so-called persons of interest, but no one has ever been arrested."

Although a connection between the fires in two of the nation's most LGBT-friendly towns, though unlikely, could be possible, few believe the arsonists are targeting the gay community. A more plausible theory was that the arsonist moved from Provincetown to Northampton, but so far, no evidence of Baye's involvement with the Provincetown fires has surfaced.

"As this time there does not appear to be any connection to any fires back at that time," Sue, an employee from Northwestern District Attorney Elizabeth Scheibel's office said Tuesday, Jan. 5.

"I'm sure the state fire marshal's office is paying attention," Trovato said. "We are certainly paying attention. Massachusetts is a small enough state, and people do move around."

Jennifer Mieth, spokesperson for the State Department of Fire Services, does not believe that any connection exists between the Northampton fires and Provincetown's blazes in 2007. "I'm not aware of any link between the two," she said.

Prior to Baye's arrest, Governor Deval Patrick had announced a $5,000 reward in exchange for information leading to the capture of the arsonist or arsonists. A multi-agency task force investigated the Northampton fires.