MOUNT VERNON — Matthew Hoffman remains on suicide watch at the Knox County Jail today where he is being held on a $1 million cash bond. Charged last week with the kidnapping of 13-year-old Sarah Maynard, Hoffman is scheduled to appear for his preliminary hearing on that charge in front of Mount Vernon Municipal Court Judge Paul Spurgeon, Tuesday afternoon at 2:30.
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A convicted arsonist, Hoffman served seven years in a Colorado prison for setting fire to a condominium complex in 2000.
According to the Ohio State Fire Marshal’s Office, there is no indication of any connection between Hoffman and any fires in central Ohio.
“We have nothing that indicates that’s true,” SFM spokesman Shane Cartmill responded when asked about any possible connection between Hoffman and the Kresge building fire on Oct. 25, or the Adamson Street house explosion and fire Nov. 7.
“We’re still looking at all possibilities of course, but right now, there’s nothing that indicates he’s connected to either of these fires, but the investigation remains ongoing,” Cartmill said Friday.
Mount Vernon Fire Chief Shawn Christy said Friday the cause of the Kresge Building fire is undetermined. Christy said he was not aware of any connection between Hoffman and the Oct. 25 fire.
Calling the Adamson Street house explosion and fire “definitely suspicious,” Christy said the arson investigation has not revealed any connection to Hoffman.
Maynard was abducted from her home on Nov. 10, and rescued from Hoffman’s Columbus Road residence on Nov. 14. Tina Herrmann, 32, her son, Kody Maynard, 11, and friend Stephanie Sprang, 41, were presumed missing until their bodies were found Thursday.
Hoffman is represented by Knox County Public Defender Bruce Malek, who delivered information on Hoffman’s behalf to law enforcement which led to the recovery of the remains of the three murder victims last Thursday afternoon near the Kokosing Reservoir.
Thatcher said Thursday he would not yet comment on whether or not Hoffman had been promised any consideration for revealing the location of the bodies. Once the murder investigation is complete, Thatcher said he will take the evidence to the grand jury for an indictment on undetermined additional charges. Thatcher said indictments could be issued in approximately four to six weeks.