OELWEIN – This suspect who viciously attacked an officer is accused of setting a fire that destroyed three Northern Iowa houses and is still awaiting trial, months after the incident.
Police in Oelwein, Iowa, say that at approximately 2:04 AM on June 3, 2025, Oelwein Police and Fire Departments were dispatched to a report of a house fire in the 300 block 1st Ave NE. The caller reported the house was fully engulfed in flames at that time. Officers arrived and immediately began notifying neighboring residents to evacuate as the fire was spreading to nearby homes. The Oelwein Fire Department arrived on scene at 2:16 AM to observe one house almost completely destroyed by fire. Additionally, a house to the south was engulfed in flames and a house to the west was also engulfed in flames. Fire crews were on scene for nearly five hours and throughout the day.
The fire was determined to be suspicious in nature. Officers continued the investigation throughout the day, leading to the arrest of a suspect, Jeannie Marie Murphy, age 50 of Oelwein on a charge of class B felony first-degree arson.
The subject was taken into custody and transported to the Fayette County Jail pending an initial appearance.
“We are extremely grateful and proud of the collaborative efforts of all of the volunteer members of each fire department involved to protect the lives and property of those in our community and the efficient investigative work of our officers,” stated Oelwein Public Safety Chief Jeremy Logan.
“People that volunteer for a fire department are special people that are the heartbeat of those communities and we are fortunate to have them and the dedicated officers that serve us.”
The Oelwein Police and Fire Departments were assisted by the fire departments from Hazleton, Maynard, and Fairbank, as well as the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, Fayette County Emergency Management, Oelwein MercyOne Ambulance, and the American Red Cross.
NIT previously reported that Murphy was arrested in 2023 after a vicious attack in the Fayette county jail on a jail officer. Murphy was charged with Attempted Murder (Felony B), Assault on Persons in Certain Occupation use/display of a Dangerous Weapon (D Felony), and Criminal Mischief 5th Degree (Simple Misdemeanor). She took a plea deal in the case and got only probation and $2,000 in court costs.
Currently, Murphy is still awaiting trial in the arson case, set for January 14, 2026.