Last week, I came across the news story about 12 homes under construction set ablaze in Maryland and used it to discuss eco-terrorism. Yesterday, authorities arrested a man named Aaron Speed. He is not known as an eco-terrorist, and apparently had no motive. Speeds works as a security guard protecting the home allegedly torched.

Something seems wrong here. While Speed has a history of mental illness, he reminds me of the guy they arrested in Atlanta for detonating a bomb during the Olympics. In that case, they got the wrong guy by overreaching in the search for a motive. Authorities believed Richard Jewell planted the bomb in order to be seen a hero. So far, no possible motive has been given for Speed to set fire to the homes.

We’ll see.

From the evidence disclosed thus far, I would be surprised if Speed ever goes to trial.