Burned: Pyromania, Murder, and a Daughter's Nightmare

by Frank C. Girardot Jr., Lori Orr Kovach

A daughter’s account of the “Pillowcase Pyro,” hero firefighter turned killer arsonist John Orr. “A red-hot true crime masterpiece.” —Burl Barer, Edgar Award–winning author of Betrayal in Blue and Murder in the Family   For years, Lori Orr believed her Los Angeles firefighter dad was a selfless hero. When Lori’s dad was arrested and charged with four murders and countless arson fires, it was her testimony that helped keep him from being sent to Death Row. Eventually, Lori’s search for the truth lead her to the dark secrets lurking in her family’s past—and to an inescapable conclusion about the remorseless killer and arsonist known as the “Pillowcase Pyro” and his reign of terror in sunny Southern California.   Together with award-winning journalist Frank C. Girardot, Jr., Orr looks back on the journey that took her from love to fear and the search for answers about how the father she loved could also be a thrill-seeking predator. A predator brought to justice by a dogged investigator no one wanted to believe. A master manipulator who participated in the writing of this memoir in hopes that it would redeem him in the eyes of his family and others who trusted and believed in him.   “A fiery tale . . . The text itself collates Girardot’s tying together of the investigative timeline with entries from Horvack Orr’s diaries.” —Pasadena Now

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Biography, Audiobook, History

340 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 5, 2018

Reviews

[Valerity (Val) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was different from the usual true crime murder story in many ways. It starts out the same but is also given the added dimension of having the voice of the daughter of the book’s subject melded in throughout the story, giving her experience at different parts of the events. This gives a whole different flavor to it, and joined two books into one, making both better for it.

This is the story of a fire-starter, a fire-obsessed pyro who also just happens to be a pseudo-hero in disguise as the Glendale Fire Department’s fire investigator, Captain John L. Orr. He’d been in the Fire Department for a long time and had earned a reputation as a dedicated Investigator who really knew his stuff. He taught classes on arson investigation and had testified in court many times, along with writing lots of articles for industry magazines.

Lori Orr Kovach shares her interactions with her father, which are quite enlightening, overall. A very interesting true crime read about a sociopath with a different twist to him, for sure. But he’s a very evil man, to be certain as the story lays out quite plainly. It’s like reading about two different men. An advance digital copy was provided by authors Frank C. Girardot Jr. & Lori Orr Kovach and the publisher for my unbiased review.

Wildblue Press Publication: May 24, 2018

[BAM doesn’t answer to her real name · Rating 3 out of 5]

Netgalley #67

Many thanks go to Frank C. Girardot and Lori Kovach Orr, Wildblue Press, and Netgalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.
This is the story of a dedicated arson investigator and a dedicated arsonist. Who's who becomes apparent quite quickly. And it'll make your blood run cold.
Orr was a victim of the arsonist. But nothing she owned was set on fire. Instead her life fell apart. The reader learns her story too.
This was an engrossing story. I wanted this man caught desperately. The damage and deaths he caused were astronomical. And for no reason. He was evil. Giradot does an excellent job of being objective laying out the facts so the readers can judge for themselves.

[Reggie_Love · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't give a lot of one-star reviews, but this book is REALLY bad. It's poorly written, not interesting, and somehow ruins an epic story. John Orr was destined to be a murderer. If he lived in Florida, he would have been arrested and claimed he was "standing his ground." The writing was unprofessional to say the least. There were too many reused words, cliche phrases, and massive quotes for other sources. 40% of the book is Girardot Jr explaining over and over how Orr didn't listen to authority and broke the rules. WE GET IT. Get to the bloody crime. Get to the trial. Get to why I was interested in the book. I gave up before it ever got there, but honestly, I'm not really sure it ever gets there. Save yourself the time. Read the wiki page and then just apply the most stereotypical criminal profile ever. Done. Saved you hours of your time.

[Jordan Larsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Southern California, nothing is ever what it seems. Renowned for being the art and entertainment capitol of the world, Los Angeles County harbors a rich mix of diverse cultures and eclectic weather patterns that change erratically with the seasons: Rainy season, May Gray, June Gloom with hot, hazy temperatures compounded with smog eclipsed by the most explosive and dreaded season of all, Fire Season. No other place on earth burns more ferociously than the state of California, plagued by seasonal droughts combined with a volatile fuel load creates favorable conditions for disastrous wildfires costing billions of dollars annually. The elemental force that is fire has an iron grip on the Sunshine State. However, while nature provides a playground for the Red Devil, it is often the warped mentality and sadistic intentions of man who exploits its destructive and deadly ferocity.

“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.” Ironically, where there’s fire, there’s a spark. In the spring of 1984, one man would take advantage of this hypnotic, seductive and sinister element, wielding it as a poor man’s Weapon of Mass Destruction. Enter John Leonard Orr, head of the Glendale Fire Department’s Fire Investigation Unit, struggling novelist, family man to his two daughters, Carrie and Lori, by the light of day, and history’s most prolific serial arsonist by night lurking in the shadows. Like the split personality of a comic strip character’s alter ego, John Orr’s foreboding super villain possesses a power and level of psychopathy not to be trifled with. An expert in the field of firefighting and arson investigation, the maniacal “Pillowcase Pyro” is free to prowl Southern California setting brush and structure fires at will, often with devastating and deadly results.

In October of 1984, the “Pillowcase Pyro” would graduate to murder with the deaths of four people slain in a fatal shopping mall blaze at Ole’s Home Center. The World Series created a busy turnout in the mall. A small fire ignited in an area of foam cushions spawning a deadly backdraft that sealed the fates of a 17-year-old store employee, 26-year-old mother of two, a 52-year-old grandmother and her 2-year-old grandson. The multiple alarm inferno triggers an instantaneous response by firefighters and investigators from various fire agencies bordering the community of Pasadena where Ole’s is situated. First on the scene is none other than arson investigation extraordinaire Captain John Orr who is quick to rule the Ole’s disaster arson while his colleagues are more inclined to rule it an accident.

“The world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it.” ― Albert Einstein.

Unfortunately, more menacing fires loom on the horizon as the “Sunshine State” is about to be transformed into a combustible powder keg with dire consequences for the fire service and those they are sworn to protect. Over the course of seven years: from 1984 to 1991, the Pillowcase Pyro is on a roll, igniting thousands of fires in numerous department stores running the length of the main highway stretching from the suburb of Glendale to Los Angeles. With every suspicious fire, more damming evidence begins to emerge with John Orr as one of ten likely suspects in the case. It isn’t until investigators get their hands on a latent fingerprint and a chilling manuscript “Points of Origin” written by John Orr himself. The manuscript is a novel chronicling the lives of a stereotypical fire investigator and depraved serial arsonist. It’s a blueprint into the mind of a serial killer.

That’s the premise behind the poignant memoir and biography “Burned: Pyromania, Murder and a Daughter’s Nightmare.” Written by Frank C. Girardot Jr. and co-written with Lori Orr Kovach, the book provides an unflinching glimpse into the terrifying arson spree of John Orr and the disastrous impact that his reign of terror had on his family and the community he was supposed to serve and protect. Upon John Orr’s capture and conviction in 1992, found guilty on three counts of arson and again in 1993 with three more counts of arson including an unsuccessful plea bargain to reduce his sentence, John Orr is charged with six counts of arson and given a life sentence. In 1998, Orr is convicted of four counts of murder for the four deaths in the 1984 Ole’s arson blaze.

The tumultuous years of a long and drawn-out trial brings a 17-year-old Lori Orr’s life and her family’s world crashing to its knees. In an act of desperation and self-preservation, John Orr urges his two daughters Carrie his oldest and Lori his youngest from a previously failed marriage to testify on his behalf. It was Lori’s emotional testimony that swayed the jury from giving John Orr the Death Penalty. Ultimately, there’s more to this courtroom drama than meets the eye. Lori takes the reader on a journey back in time, offering a personal glimpse into her stepfather’s disturbing past. John Orr was the youngest of three sons raised by parents who never got along very well and that led to a lot of insecurity. At the age of twelve, he raped a relative but never received counselling and would often experiment by setting small nuisance fires.

During his adult years, he was considered a rebel. He was always interested in pursuing a career in firefighting or law enforcement. While in the Air Force, he resented authority and the tight regimented hierarchy, but somehow managed to survive his tour of duty as an Air Force Firefighter and evade disciplinary action. After the Air Force, John Orr applied for a career with the Los Angeles Police Department but was rejected due to a psychiatric evaluation that revealed frightening mental and emotional inadequacies that would most certainly put someone like John Orr and those around him at high risk.

Nowhere would that psychological profile be more relevant than during his time with the Glendale Fire Department. A rebellious character amongst the rank and file but surprisingly, rising star in his new role as arson sleuth in the newly-formed Fire Investigation Unit. As noted by his peers and family at home, John Orr is quick to plot the cause and origin of every fire scene he attends demonstrating remarkable genius of deduction in front of the media and fellow investigators. However, a devious and menacing alter ego lies dormant within this unassumingly bright and promising public servant. Within John Orr lies a dark persona in the form of a fictitious character “Aaron Stiles,” a firefighter turned serial arsonist in John Orr’s ill-fated novel “Points of Origin.” John Orr’s attempts at getting into character would cost him his career, family and others their lives as malevolent arsons are unleashed throughout Southern California.

Numerous documentaries and books chronicle John Orr’s reign of terror: the 2002 HBO film “Point of Origin” starring Ray Liotta as John Orr (Liotta’s best character work), Joseph Wambaugh’s “Fire Lover,” and Ed Nordskog’s “Torchered Minds” a book about the psychology of serial arsonists. The writing is on the wall and the evidence is undeniable for one of history’s most prolific serial arsonists. While others have tried to copy John Orr and claim his morbidly mythic status, i.e., Paul Keller, Seattle’s infamous serial arsonist who was known as “Mister Clean” to the authorities; Paul Keller had a similar psychological profile to Orr but didn’t use incendiary devices. Instead, a simple lighter was his weapon of choice to ignite more than 130 arson fires over a one-year period from 1993-1994. Paul Keller’s blazes injured several firefighters and killed three people. Yet, Paul Keller was a boy scout in comparison to John Orr who was the quintessential Harvard Professor of serial arson.

After listening to this book on Audible, Lori Orr Kovach does a fine job chronicling what could only be described as horrifically torturous years for her and her family growing up in the shadow of an abusive, domineering biological father and a reclusive stepfather who hid behind a heroic persona tarnished by a monstrous ego. “The brighter the picture, the darker the negative.” In cases ripped from the headlines like the events described in “Burned: Pyromania, Murder and a Daughter’s Nightmare,” it is often the innocent who suffer the most. The children and spouses of criminals are just as much victims of evil as those whose names end up on the evening news as murder victims. I admire Lori for finally coming forward to tell her side of the story. The most disturbing part of her account was the cold reply from John Orr regarding a letter sent by Lori asking for an explanation to his diabolical acts of arson and murder. The reply is absolutely chilling! “You’ll see how innocent I am when I get out of jail.” It took a lot of courage for Lori to cut the chord for good with John Orr and start a new life for herself. If you’re a fan of Joseph Wambaugh’s “Fire Lover” or Ed Nordskog’s “Torchered Minds,” then “Burned: Pyromania, Murder and a Daughter’s Nightmare” makes for a great companion book. Well worth the time to read or listen.

[Vnunez-Ms_luv2read · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt this book could have included more. I admire the author for writing a book abut her father, but , the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.the book was not very interesting. It was an ok read but not one that grabbed me. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

[Martha Brindley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a true crime murder story told from a daughter's point of view. Lori Orr Kovach idolises her fire fighting father but finds out there is a very different side to him. He is a fire investigator for Glendale Fire Department but also a fire starter. The book is written like a diary or memoir and some questions are left unanswered. Lacking a bit in background information but overall, a good read. How well do we know our families? Thanks to Net Galley for my copy.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

Burned is an interesting look into California’s most prolific arsonist and is written by Lori Orr Kovach, one of the daughter’s of John Orr and journalist Frank C Girardot. Jr. Burned is a decently good book for as far as it goes; however, I am conflicted by this book for a number of reasons.

First of all, there was never an explanation of where the name “pillowcase pyro” came from or why John Orr was given that particular nickname.

Secondly, the writing style of this memoir is half diary/half investigative journalism style. It just didn’t mesh well for me. Some of the wording used in the book was off-putting as well; for example, the word pissed or pissed off is used a lot, yet most of the book is oddly formal.

Third, there just wasn’t enough background information from Orr’s daughter on her or her families experiences with her father. Those memories in a crime based memoir are expected and help tell the true story of both the criminal and the family. I feel if the book was an additional 100 pages, much more of the story could have been told.

Fourth, there is a number of inconsistencies within the book. For example, at one point, the authors call Orr,” a disgraced copper”. However, Orr was never a police officer, he was a firefighter.

Overall, this is a good book and I would think many people would be interested in the story the authors tell.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and Net Galley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

[Megsbookclub · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t read a lot of true crime but now have read two stories in the last few weeks! Thanks to @wildblue_press #partner for a copy of this book! 🕵️‍♀️👮‍♂️👨‍🚒
This story was interesting because it’s about a fire captain that was actually the arsonist setting the fires! 😱🔥
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Lori Orr shares the story about her father who was a Los Angeles firefighter. The book is not well written, and the choice of words are not creative, but she shares an insight tale about how a man most thought of as a hero was actually an arsonist and murderer. Frank Orr was a Fire Chief who always craved attention. He was a controlling man that wanted to be a police officer and even impersonated being one. He went on to become the Pillowcase Pyro in the late 80’s and one of his fires trapped four people in a hardware store and killed them. He was eventually caught because he somehow was showing up at fires all over the place before they were even reported. He was a selfish man that left his family and left many people in his path of destruction and is now serving a life sentence. Though he still claims his innocence his daughter feels that he is a just manipulative person and would continue to hurt people if he is ever set free.
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[Bonnie Kernene · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting read. I had heard of John Orr before this, which is why I was interested in reading this book. However, he was more of a sociopath than I thought he was. His daughter is one of the authors of this book, so part of the input is from her point of view, growing up as his daughter. So heartbreaking to go from feeling your father is such a hero to finding out he is the one who did these fires that killed people and did so much damage. I cannot imagine being in her place. I think writing this book has helped her to grow and to heal from all of this, although how do you completely heal from this? The book is really good, one of the best I have read in a while. The writing itself is really good. I like the style of writing that the author uses. It was a fast and easy read for me. It was one of those that I just could not put it down. I recommend this book to all true crime fans!

[Corbin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Muddy point of view

I have a journalism background. Even so, I had a hard time trying to figure out the point of view for this book. You are reading a very detailed history of dad and history according to dad's details. Suddenly, in italics, you are given the daughter's input. These potions occur late in the narrative and make the book feel disjointed. You should be told in the first few chapters, "look, this book is MY history as written or set by my father". As my editor once told me--the skeleton doesn't support the body hung on it.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book will chill the reader to the bone. A fire fighter's true life is revealed in this book. It is unsettlig to think that someone could purposely set a fire and then enjoy the fire ruining the lifes of those involved. At times the story dragged, but overall this is an engaging book.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Poorly written and repetitive with numerous grammatical errors that only increased as the book wore on. I finally gave up at the Murder Trial. I’ll try Joseph Waumbaugh’s book instead.

[Nik von Schulmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intriguing and interesting true-crime stroty but ultimately the writing was repetitive and on occasions lacked focus.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good story and a fascinating account of the creation of a psychopath.

[Gregory Boehmke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very good companion book to Points of Origin. It gives John Orr's family's side of the story and a view into all the people involved with his tracking, capture and prosecution