Crime Tape illustration
Photo: Isaac Windes / Tony Webster, Flickr
Murder suspect's house burns down hours after he is released from jail
The home of a man suspected of murder burned down Saturday, just hours after he bonded out of jail.
Michael Toby Peck, who was recently indicted in the 2017 murder of Randy Holmes, left jail Saturday morning, just hours before his house caught on fire and burned to the ground.
Newton County Sheriff Billy Rowles confirmed that his office is working with the State Fire Marshal to investigate the incident as a case of arson.
Despite efforts by several fire departments to save the home on FM 2626 on Saturday morning, it was destroyed.
Holmes was reported missing in 2017, with police later receiving information that led them to believe foul play was involved in his disappearance. His remains were discovered in November 2019.
According to a release from the department at the time, Chief Deputy Cynthia Hall recently was given a possible location of Holmes's remains, and officials with the FBI and other responders assisted with the recovery.
“A very intense murder investigation by the Newton Police Chief and Chief Deputy Hall ended with Peck’s attorney turning him over to Newton County,” Rowles said in his weekly report.