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Fire and Faith: The Fatal Fire, Rush To Judgment And Inspiring Resilience Of The Steigler Family.
Heat and smoke from the fire killed six-year-old Chrissy and both visiting grandparents and left the house in ruins. Bottles and cans containing gasoline found placed in doorways clearly indicated arson. Weeks later, Herb Steigler was arrested for murder and the attempted murder of the wife he rescued. A year later, he was convicted on purely circumstantial evidence and sentenced to hang.
Family and friends never stopped believing that Herb was innocent. Their theory of who set the fire wasn’t investigated by the police, pressed in court, or probed by the press. Eventually released from prison, Herb and his family went on to live productive, joy-filled lives.
Fifty-some years later, there is still no hard evidence of who committed the arson, and no one has confessed.
David Steigler, Arlene Steigler, and Sarah Steigler Graham
Photograph by Lindy Powers Photography
Decades after his release from prison, and toward the end of his suffering with dementia, Herb would utter random, unfiltered thoughts. One day he appeared distressed and exclaimed to Arlene, “They think I killed my family!”
Arlene held her breath, wondering what he might reveal. “Well, did you?”
Family and friends never stopped believing that Herb was innocent. Their theory of who set the fire wasn’t investigated by the police, pressed in court, or probed by the press. Eventually released from prison, Herb and his family went on to live productive, joy-filled lives.
Fifty-some years later, there is still no hard evidence of who committed the arson, and no one has confessed.
David Steigler, Arlene Steigler, and Sarah Steigler Graham
Photograph by Lindy Powers Photography
Decades after his release from prison, and toward the end of his suffering with dementia, Herb would utter random, unfiltered thoughts. One day he appeared distressed and exclaimed to Arlene, “They think I killed my family!”
Arlene held her breath, wondering what he might reveal. “Well, did you?”
352 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 24, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 1, 2021
“Fire & Faith” vs “They Had To Die That Night”
All of you who have read “Fire & Faith” need to read the book entitled “They Had To Die That Night” written by Richard R. Wier, Jr, the prosecutor who tried the case against Herbert Steiger. Mr. Wier takes you through the entire trial and lays out all the evidence that found Herbert Steigler guilty of 3 counts of first degree murder and 1 count of attempted murder. Herbert Steigler intentionally killed his wife’s mother and father and their 6 year old daughter Christine. And Herbert tried to kill his wife Arlene, which is the attempted murder charge. What I was left with after reading both books is that Arlene betrayed her mother and father and their six year old daughter Christine. She chose to stand behind her husband and because of that choice she brought her two living children Sarah and David along with her believing this fantasy story that someone else committed these crimes. When you read the prosecutors book you will see the defense that “Fire & Faith” puts forth was not possible. Not only did Arlene stand by her husband during the trial, but she continued to stand by him after he was found guilty and sentenced to death. The death sentence was abolished in Delaware, and Herbert was released after 13 years in prison. Arlene took him back and lived with him for the next 36 years. How is that possible? And, to me I was left with the question.....why was this book “Fire & Faith” written? Keep in mind that Arlene is a good friend to the writer. It seems to me that she knew the prosecutor was writing a book about her husband and participated in the writing of this book “Fire & Faith”. I wish I could feel sorry for her but I don’t. Because she choose to put blinders on to the truth, she betrayed her mother and father and her precious daughter by that choice. And the two living children who were 10 and 12 at the time the crime was committed have spent their lives, like their mother, defending their father of the crime that he was found guilty of.
All of you who have read “Fire & Faith” need to read the book entitled “They Had To Die That Night” written by Richard R. Wier, Jr, the prosecutor who tried the case against Herbert Steiger. Mr. Wier takes you through the entire trial and lays out all the evidence that found Herbert Steigler guilty of 3 counts of first degree murder and 1 count of attempted murder. Herbert Steigler intentionally killed his wife’s mother and father and their 6 year old daughter Christine. And Herbert tried to kill his wife Arlene, which is the attempted murder charge. What I was left with after reading both books is that Arlene betrayed her mother and father and their six year old daughter Christine. She chose to stand behind her husband and because of that choice she brought her two living children Sarah and David along with her believing this fantasy story that someone else committed these crimes. When you read the prosecutors book you will see the defense that “Fire & Faith” puts forth was not possible. Not only did Arlene stand by her husband during the trial, but she continued to stand by him after he was found guilty and sentenced to death. The death sentence was abolished in Delaware, and Herbert was released after 13 years in prison. Arlene took him back and lived with him for the next 36 years. How is that possible? And, to me I was left with the question.....why was this book “Fire & Faith” written? Keep in mind that Arlene is a good friend to the writer. It seems to me that she knew the prosecutor was writing a book about her husband and participated in the writing of this book “Fire & Faith”. I wish I could feel sorry for her but I don’t. Because she choose to put blinders on to the truth, she betrayed her mother and father and her precious daughter by that choice. And the two living children who were 10 and 12 at the time the crime was committed have spent their lives, like their mother, defending their father of the crime that he was found guilty of.
January 13, 2024
Hard to believe the police and fire departments would lie so much and frame this person, especially for no reason. Unfortunately, framing of defendants has happened a lot in history; however it has been predominantly racially motivated which doesn't fit this case. I read the prosecutors book and apparently the jury came back very quickly.....main thing they wanted was to make sure he was going to get death. The evidence convinced them clearly. At this point nobody will ever know the truth for sure. This book definitely tried to refute all of the evidence given at trial, but mostly with the family's story. Who knows. If he was guilty then he got away with murder practically by the short sentence. He had a pretty full life. If he was innocent, then God did provide. We will never know.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews