Burfordville man charged in Sigma Chi fire

Ryan Johnston, of Burfordville, was charged with second-degree arson and burglary in connection with a fire at an auxillary building belonging to the Sigma Chi fraternity. Bond was set at $100,000 surety. Johnston will later be transported to the Cape Girardeau County Jail.

The fire occurred around 4 a.m. at the building located at 1134 N. Sprigg St.

The buidling was non-residential, rather, the fraternity members used it for chapter meetings, recreational purposes, and fraternity activities like building homecoming floats, said chapter member Drew Knott.

"We'd go there and just hang out, barbeque, throw a football around," said Knott.

The fire department estimated that the building suffered $50,000 worth of internal and external damages.

Knott said no one from Sigma Chi knew Johnston or even if he was a student at Southeast.

For more details, check back at semissourian.com or read Saturday's Southeast Missourian.

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