WATFORD CITY, ND (KXNET) — A Watford City man, Scott Beane, has been arrested for murder after he set his mother on fire and barricaded her in a room back in September.
According to the arresting affidavit, the incident occurred on September 12 when police responded to a residence in McKenzie County and found a woman who had burned to death. They also found Beane hiding in the bathroom, refusing to come out.
Police detained Beane and arrested him for an unlawful possession of a firearm charge.
According to documents, an interview with Beane found that he saw his mother on fire, crawling on the flow toward him in a doorway and that he closed the door and used a chair to wedge it shut.
Further investigation found that the fire was considered incendiary, meaning that it was “a willful ignition of a fire/explosion, in an area where there should not be fire.”
Due to this, Beane was charged with Murder (Class AA Felony) and is currently being held at the McKenzie County Correctional Facility on a $5 million bond.
A Preliminary Hearing for Beane is scheduled for January 4, 2024.