Boone County Prosecutor Roger Johnson has filed second degree murder and arson charges against 47-year-old Brandon Butchkoski, who is accused of setting 31-year-old Donovan Baylis on fire in June.
The suspect has a lengthy criminal record, according to court documents. That includes convictions in Tennessee. The suspect is homeless, according to CPD’s three-page probable cause statement.
The suspect was arrested on Thursday.
Columbia Police say the horrific incident happened on June 15 in the 1500 block of Paris road, alleging that Butchkoski set the victim and the porch on fire. Baylis died about a month later, on July 14. A Boone County grand jury indicted the suspect for a separate arson incident that happened on June 29. During the second incident, court documents allege say Butchkoski threw an “on fire backpack full of flammable items” onto the same house’s roof.
Court documents describe the suspect as a flight risk. CPD’s investigation continues, and they encourage anyone with information on the deadly fire to call Columbia Crimestoppers at (573) 875-TIPS.