Missouri Arson: Did the
Bar Owner Do It?

A gay man who claimed that hate-motivated arson destroyed his three businesses in Stockton, Mo., last week has been charged with masterminding the fire .

Authorities have charged Dan Thornton, 38, with second-degree arson and theft in connection with the blaze that tore through a strip mall early last Wednesday. His suspected coconspirators, Dina Larson, 39, and her son, Jacob Smith, 18, already were detained on similar charges for their roles in the crime.

Antigay graffiti was visible at the crime scene in southwest Missouri.

Officials obtained undercover audio recordings of conversations between Larson and Thornton that they say show the two men conspiring to set the fires. Authorities believe Thornton wanted to destroy his businesses in order to collect insurance money to help him pay off significant debts.