On Wednesday evening, it was reported that Holden Matthews, the 21-year-old son of a Louisiana sheriff’s deputy, had been arrested in connection with a series of church fires in Louisiana’s St. Landry Parish. Matthews has been charged with three counts of arson of a religious building, which carry a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison per charge.

Although police have yet to reveal a motive, all three of the fires were at historically black churches, which led the NAACP to classify them as hate crimes earlier this week. Matthews’ Facebook page also provides some clues as to what his motive may have been: according to the Daily Beast, he was an aspiring black metal musician and a fan of a number of black metal and pagan pages. In a press conference, Louisiana Fire Marshal Butch Browning confirmed that Matthews had a “relationship” with the black metal community, which had an “association” with church burnings.

To be clear, Matthews’ musical taste in and of itself does not necessarily indicate what his political leanings were. While there is a subset of the black metal community called National Socialist Black Metal, which combines neo-ideology with ethnic white European pagan views, “that is just one part of the black metal community. It’s not indicative of the entire community. That’s a really important distinction to make,” says Keegan Henkes, senior research analyst at the Southern Poverty Law Center’s intelligence project, which tracks far-right extremist, hate and anti-government groups. Indeed, many of the pages Matthews commented on actively forbade the expression of racist or anti-Semitic views.

Nonetheless, there is some overlap between the black metal community and extremist views, as evidenced in part by the fact that Matthews commented on memes featuring Norwegian black metal musician Varg Vikernes, a major figurehead in both the Norwegian black metal community and the neo-Nazi movement. The former bassist for the Norwegian black metal band Mayhem, Vikernes boasted about burning churches in Norway with other black metal musicians called the “black circle,” which he attributed to his desire to take “revenge” on Christians and bring Norway back to its pagan roots. He served 15 years in prison for arson and for the stabbing murder of his Mayhem bandmate Euronymous, whom he killed in 1993 over a contract dispute.

Vikernes is an extremely polarizing figure among black metal fans: while many loathe him and publicly disavow him, while others give him a pass. “You’ve got others who are extremely deferential to him. He was in an incredibly influential band on the black metal scene, so it’s pretty difficult to be a fan of black metal and not know who he is,” says Henkes. Although he has denied claims that he is a neo-Nazi, his blog, which he started in prison, has endorsed neo-Nazi views and contains rants against Muslims and Jews. (Vikernes declined to comment on this story in an email to Rolling Stone.)

While it’s unclear whether Matthews was a fan of Vikernes, a friend of Matthews told BuzzFeed News that his alleged crimes may have been “inspired” by the film Lords of Chaos, which tells the story of Vikernes, the church burnings, and the Norwegian black metal scene of the early 1990s; one Facebook comment authored by Matthews, while not explicitly endorsing Vikernes’ actions, also endorsed the film, writing, “It’s a good movie, yea it’s a ‘Hollywood’ movie but hey it’s still fun, the only people against it are people who take themselves too seriously, and people who listen to everything varg says.” (It is perhaps of note that he may have been alone in this view; Rolling Stone‘s Kory Grow gave Lords of Chaos only 1.5 stars. We reached out to Jonas Åkerlund, the director of the film, and will update if we hear back.)

Vikernes’ influence is still deeply felt among some black metal fans with extremist views: indeed, earlier this month, a black metal drummer named Jacob Lowenstein was arrested and charged with arson for setting fire to a Mormon church in New Zealand. Although Lowenstein did not attribute the bombings to Vikernes, many media outlets noted the parallels of the case to the crimes documented in Lords of Chaos.

After serving 16 years in prison, Vikernes was released on parole in 2009 and moved to France with his wife and child. He was arrested again in 2013, after it was reported that Vikernes had received an early copy of a manifesto by white supremacist Andres Breivik, the man behind the 2011 shooting spree at a Norwegian socialist summer camp that killed 77 people. He was ultimately convicted by a French court of inciting racial hatred in 2014, and was given a six-month suspended sentence and a fine. Vikernes has kept a relatively low profile since his 2013 arrest, though he still regularly posts on his YouTube channel).

Henkes is wary of attributing the Louisiana church burnings to Vikernes or to white supremacist views in general until more information emerges about Matthews and the case. “I’m really hesitant to attribute a racist motive to it,” he says. “On the other hand, it’s impossible to divorce these crimes from the greater context of the last few months.” There has been a tremendous rise in hate crimes in recent years, with the FBI citing a 17 percent increase in such crimes between 2016 and 2017 alone; houses of worship have been particularly vulnerable, as evidenced by the Charleston church shooting of 2015, the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre last year, and the Christchurch mosque massacre last month, all of which were committed by people with white supremacist views.

Regardless of Matthews’ motive, it’s unlikely that the congregations in the historically black churches in Louisiana will recover from the destruction wrought by the burnings anytime soon. Attacking a church is “striking at one of the most sacred and protected spaces” of a community, says Henkes. “It’s a very transgressive act.”</s>Editor's note: A previous version of this story stated that the suspect's father, Deputy Roy Matthews, turned his son in. In a press conference Thursday morning, St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz said that report was incorrect. Sheriff Guidroz said the suspect's father "helped facilitate the arrest, he got the suspect away from home" and had "no knowledge" of his son's activities.

Police arrested the 21-year-old son of a sheriff's deputy in connection to fires at three historically black churches in one Louisiana Parish in just 10 days. The fires were devastating to the St. Landry Parish community.

Investigators arrested suspect Holden Matthews Wednesday evening. He was charged Thursday morning with three counts of simple arson of a religious building.The maximum penalty for each counts is 15 years in prison.

Matthews' social media shows he had an interest in black metal music and is the lead singer for a band called Vodka Vultures. Records show Matthews lives in Saint Landry Parish, where the churches burned just a few miles apart. Police have not yet revealed a motive.

The churches were empty at the time of each fire and no one was hurt.

Earlier this week, the NAACP said the church burnings were "domestic terrorism," targeting people because of their skin color and faith.

Attacks on black churches have long been used as a way to intimidate the black community, most notably during the civil rights era. Though police in Saint Landry Parish have heightened security at nearby churches, parishioners have not stopped their Sunday worship and all the pastors say they will rebuild.

The fires began on March 26 at St. Mary Baptist Church in Port Barre followed by Greater Union Baptist on April 2 and Mount Pleasant Baptist Church on April 4.

"There's still people that need to be helped, there's still ministry that has to be done, so we can't let this setback stop us from doing what God has initially called us to do," said Pastor Kyle Sylvester of St. Mary's Baptist Church.



The FBI and ATF have been assisting local police with the investigation.

Authorities say they will announce "significant updates" at a press conference Thursday morning with Louisiana's governor.</s>Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards on Thursday described the three fires that destroyed predominantly black churches in rural Louisiana as an “evil act” committed by the son of a sheriff’s deputy.

Holden Matthews was arrested Wednesday on three counts of simple arson for fires that on destroyed the churches in St. Landry Parish over ten days. The fires were set on March 26, April 2, and April 4, and destroyed St. Mary Baptist Church, Greater Union Baptist Church, and Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, respectively. Matthews, 21, was booked into jail Wednesday evening.

Louisiana State Fire Marshal “Butch” Browning, at a Thursday morning press conference, called the fires “an attack on our God and our religion.”

“In my career, I have never seen such a spiritual mission that has come home so quickly,” said Browning, who noted that Matthews’ arrest was quick in part because “we felt that other crimes were imminent.”

An arrest warrant reportedly showed that officials connected Matthews to the crimes through the charred remains of a brand of gas can found at the scene of the April 4 fire. Matthews allegedly used his debit card and ID to purchase that same brand of gas can, along with a lighter and a 10 pack of automotive shop towels on March 25, The Advocate reports.

The same color and model pickup that Matthews drives was also present at two of the churches shortly before the fires were reported to 911, according to video footage referenced in the arrest warrant.

FBI agent Eric J. Rommal, also at the press conference, said the bureau is investigating whether the crimes were “bias-motivated.”

“Right now we are just making sure we gather all the facts,” he said, when pressed on the issue.

A Facebook page that appeared to belong to Matthews showed he was active in pagan and black metal pages, and that he commented on two memes about far-right former neo-Nazi metal musician Varg Vikernes, who served 15 years in prison for killing a fellow metal musician and burning churches in Norway. The comments revealed little other than that they indicated his familiarity with the figure.

“ Let’s pray for Mr. Matthews and his family. ” — Gov. John Bell Edwards

The pagan circles Matthews and Vikernes frequented can be popular with neo-Nazis. Matthews frequently posted about pagan beliefs, and recently uploaded a picture of a gun and a knife with the caption “I carry this..... maybe not legally but I only truly follow the law of Odin..... which says as you said, arm yourself...... Odins advice> modern law.” Odin is a pagan Norse god.

One of the pagan pages Matthews was active on specifically forbade racism and “nazi stuff.” Matthews also appeared aware of the religion's white supremacist associations. In one post, a group member noted that a drawing of a pagan figure had a swastika-like design on his belt. “well yea the belt gives him extra strength and power..... white power lmao jk jk I had to,” Matthews wrote.

While Gov. Edwards said he didn’t know what Matthews’ alleged motive was, it cannot be justified or rationalized. It was an evil act.”

“Let’s pray for Mr. Matthews and his family," Edwards added, and the audience responded with a resounding “yes.”

Pastor Gerald Toussaint, of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, said, “We’ve suffered, but I think it has a higher cause.”

“Even though we’ve lost our church—our building, our building—look who’s been brought together,” Toussaint said. “Our country has to find out that the God we serve does not look on the outside. He sees the heart.”</s>Holden Matthews, 21, has been charged in connection with fires at three historically black churches in Louisiana.

While the motive is still under investigation, authorities said that Matthews’ interest in black metal music may have influenced his behavior.

“Information investigators have uncovered, and that Matthews has offered, suggests a possible connection with a genre of music called ‘black metal’ and its associated history with church burnings in other parts of the world, which have been documented in movies and books,” the state fire marshal’s office said in a statement.

Here’s what you need to know about this musical genre.

Black metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that typically takes on anti-Christian, satanic and paganistic themes. Black metal songs typically have a fast tempo and feature shrieking vocals, heavily distorted guitars and unconventional song structures.

Black metal dates back to the early 1980s, in what’s called the genre’s first wave, when the English band Venom released its second album titled “Black Metal.” Stylistically, the music was similar to earlier heavy metal subgenres, but Venom’s lyrics had anti-Christian and satanic themes. Bands like Bathory and Hellhammer were also early influences, incorporating shrieking and lo-fi production.

First wave musicians also adopted morbid stage personas, pseudonyms and corpse paint that carried on to future iterations of black metal.

In the early 1990s, Norwegian bands like Mayhem, Darkthrone and Immortal formed black metal’s second wave, distinctly influencing the nihilistic and misanthropic tone the genre took on.

After the second wave, black metal branched out into even more sub-genres like atmospheric black metal and melodic black metal, with scenes iacross the globe. Some black metal sub-genres represent hateful ideologies, like National Socialist Black Metal, which promotes Nazism and similar views.

The genre has been linked to church burnings

Early black metal bands used evil slogans and satanic imagery for shock value, but the Norwegian black metal scene in the ’90s turned those themes into reality.

The most prominent example is Norwegian black metal artist Varg Vikernes, former bassist for the band Mayhem, who was a key player in both black metal and the neo-Nazi movement.

In 1992, Vikernes started a campaign of church burning in Norway, allegedly beginning with the 12th century Fantove Stave Church outside Bergen, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Vikernes boasted about burning churches with other members of the scene, saying he wanted to take “revenge” on Christians and bring Norway back to its pagan roots, Rolling Stone reported.

Vikernes spent 15 years in prison for arson and for the 1993 murder of his bandmate Euronymous.

But while there are subcategories of black metal that express racist or neo-Nazi views, such extremist views aren’t representative of the whole genre or the black metal community.

Matthews was active in a few Facebook groups that focused on either black metal or heathenistic, Asatru and Nordic religious beliefs.

Matthews said in a Facebook post that he held Asatru religious beliefs, which center around old Norse gods.

In two Facebook posts on October 24, Matthews appears to admit he illegally carries a handgun, in addition a knife and dagger.

“I carry this,” he wrote, captioning a photo of a handgun. “Maybe not legally but I only truly follow the law of Odin….. which says as you said,arm yourself.”

On the same day authorities say Matthews set fire to Greater Union Baptist Church in Opelousas, Louisiana, Matthews made a chilling post in a black metal artists Facebook group.

Another group member asked people to choose a “class”: wizard, fighter, sniper, assassin, guardian and warrior.

It’s unclear what type of black metal Matthews listened to and whether or not it shaped his world view or influenced his attacks on the churches.

Of course, the question of race in the Louisiana fires can’t be ignored — all three of the churches burned had predominantly black congregations. As such, the events in Louisiana also conjure up painful memories from the Jim Crow era, when church burnings inspired by hatred were common, particularly in the South.

“For decades, African-American churches have served as the epicenter of survival and a symbol of hope for many in the African-American community,” NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said. “As a consequence, these houses of faith have historically been the targets of violence.”

Authorities have not said whether they also plan to charge Matthews with a hate crime.</s>The white son of a Louisiana sheriff's deputy who was arrested over a string of fires that destroyed three black churches had ties to 'black metal' music.

Holden Matthews, 21, was arrested on Wednesday in connection with the arson attacks at three historically-black churches over a 10-day period in Opelousas.

Louisiana Fire Marshall Butch Browning offered no motive for the fires but said they had found that Matthews had ties to 'black metal' - an extreme subgenre of heavy metal that has an association with church burnings in other parts of the world.

Matthews, who lives in the area, is described on his Facebook page as the lead singer for a heavy metal band called Vodka Vultures.

A Facebook page that appeared to belong to Matthews showed him with the words 'black metal' spray painted on a wall behind him. He also posted a comment on a movie's portrayal of black metal musician Varg Vikernes, a far-right figure convicted of manslaughter and arson at three churches.

Black metal lyrics often espouse satanism and paganism, and a few bands feature neo-Nazi beliefs.

The three churches destroyed by the fires have mostly black congregations, raising authorities' suspicion that the fires may be racially motivated hate crimes.

No federal hate crime charges have been filed against Matthews so far.

The fires set between March 26 and April 4 destroyed St. Mary Baptist Church in Port Barre, and Greater Union Baptist Church and Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Opelousas.

Matthews, the son of Deputy Roy Matthews of the St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office, was taken into custody late Wednesday, about 12 hours after he was identified as a suspect

He was arrested on three counts of simple arson of a religious building.

Investigators used surveillance video, cellphone tracking and a Wal-Mart receipt to help identify Matthews.

A red gas can recovered at one of the churches was sold at Wal-Mart locations, and the company's investigators found that the same type of gas can, automotive cloths and a lighter were bought March 25 at a store in Opelousas. The debit card used in that purchase belonged to Matthews, according to court documents.

'The purchase time on this receipt is less than three hours before the first church fire was reported,' an affidavit said.

In addition, cellphone tower data showed Matthews was in the area of all three fires.

Surveillance video from businesses and homes near the churches and on the roads to and from each fire scene repeatedly showed a 'light colored extended-cab truck' that was consistent with the beige pickup that belonged to Matthews' father.

Matthews apparently drove the truck to buy the gas can and other items, according to the court documents.

Sheriff Bobby Guidroz said Matthews' father was unaware of his son's involvement in the fires and 'broke down' when he was told the 21-year-old was a suspect.

The elder Matthews helped arrange his son's arrest by getting him to leave the house and go to a place where he could be taken into custody without incident.

The Rev. Harry Richard, pastor of Greater Union Baptist Church, which was destroyed, said the arrest put him at ease and let him sleep at night.

'I felt relieved my congregation didn't have to worry anymore,' said Richard, who was told of the arrest late Wednesday. 'I was reassured that law enforcement was on our side, that things were finally coming to an end.'

Gov. John Bel Edwards said the fires were 'especially painful' because they were a reminder 'of a very dark past of intimidation and fear.'

'This is a reflection of one depraved individual,' he added. 'It is not a reflection on the state of Louisiana.'

'I don't know what this young man's motive was... it cannot be justified or rationalized. These are evil acts.'

The first blaze torched the St. Mary Baptist Church on March 26 in Port Barre, a town just outside of Opelousas. Days later, the Greater Union Baptist Church and Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Opelousas were burned. Each was more than 100 years old.

The churches were empty at the time and no one was injured in the fires.

Investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were still combing the scene at Mount Pleasant and warning onlookers away on Wednesday, a week after the fire.

At Greater Union, which burned April 2, the flames caused exterior walls of brick and wood to collapse on rows of metal folding chairs. All that was left of an upright piano was the lattice work of steel strings.

Despite authorities stopping short of calling the fires hate crimes, the NAACP believes the fires were racially motivated given that they took place in historically black areas and called for the acts to be labeled as 'domestic terrorism'.

'We must not turn a blind eye to any incident where people are targeted because of the color of their skin or their faith,' the group said in a statement on Monday.

'The spike in church burnings in Southern states is a reflection of the emboldened racial rhetoric and tension spreading across the country. But this is nothing new.'

A number of state officials also publicly condemned the fires over the past week, including US Congressman Clay Higgins, a Republican who represents a district that includes St Landry Parish.</s>Police identified a suspect in the burnings of three black churches in a South Louisiana parish last month as 21-year-old Holden Matthews, the son of a local deputy sheriff. He’s been charged with three counts of arson.



According to multiple outlets, Matthews is currently in police custody. Federal prosecutors confirmed the arrest Wednesday night.

Over a span of 10 days beginning in late March, three predominantly black churches in St. Landry Parish, La., were set ablaze, reduced to ash and ruins. The first church destroyed was St. Mary Baptist Church in Port Barre on March 26. A week later, Greater Union Baptist Church in Opelousas burned down, followed by Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, also in Opelousas, on April 4.

No one was injured in the blazes, as the churches were empty at the time of the fires, officials say.

It’s unclear whether a fourth fire, at a predominantly white church in Caddo Paris (about three hours away from the site of the other fires), is connected to the string of arsons.

Meanwhile, more information is being uncovered about the suspected arsonist, the son of St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Deputy Roy Matthews. As the Daily Beast reports, the younger Matthews appeared to follow black metal and paganism, occasionally posting on social media pages dedicated to these interests. While both have connections to Neo-Nazism, white supremacy and white nationalism, current reporting doesn’t yet show much of an online connection between Matthews and these racist, far-right movements.

Here’s what The Daily Beast has uncovered:

On a Facebook page that appears to belong to Matthews, he was active in black metal and pagan pages. Although both scenes are predominately apolitical, both have large neo-Nazi fanbases. Matthews commented on two memes about Varg Vikernes, a far-right (and self-described former neo-Nazi) metal musician who served 15 years in prison for burning churches in Norway and killing a fellow metal musician. Vikernes, a practitioner of pagan beliefs, described the arsons as having been “revenge” for Christian actions against pagan Viking graves. Vikernes has been cited by other far-right killers. Norwegian white supremacist Anders Breiviksent Vikernes a copy of his manifesto before going on to kill 77 people. Atomwaffen Division, a U.S.-based neo-Nazi group with multiple murders to its name, has cited Vikernes books on paganism on their website. Matthews commented on two memes about Vikernes. Neither comment was particularly revealing, but they indicated his familiarity with the fringe figure.

In a statement about the burnings on Friday, President of the NAACP Derrick Johnson said the church burnings were an example of domestic terrorism and “a reflection of the emboldened racial rhetoric and tension spreading across the country.”

Johnson also pointed out that the blazes were nothing new.

“For decades, African-American churches have served as the epicenter of survival and a symbol of hope for many in the African-American community,” he said. “As a consequence, these houses of faith have historically been targets of violence.”

At a news conference Thursday morning, Louisiana governor John Bel Edwards referred back to that history.

“It has been especially painful because it reminds us of a very dark past of intimidation and fear,” Edwards told reporters.

But as this disturbing series of fires may show, that legacy of intimidation and destruction has not faded quite so deep into the past as many would hope.

If convicted, Matthews faces a maximum sentence of 15 years for each arson charge.</s>The suspect in a string of fires that destroyed three black churches in rural Louisiana is the white son of a sheriff's deputy whose father helped arrange for his son's arrest, authorities said Thursday.

Holden Matthews, 21, faces arson charges in the connection with the blazes in and around Opelousas, a city of 16,000 where the flame-gutted remains of the buildings evoked memories of civil rights era violence.

Louisiana Fire Marshall Butch Browning offered no motive for the fires. He and other officials stopped short of calling them hate crimes. Eric Rommal, the agent in charge of the New Orleans FBI office, said investigators were still looking into whether the fires were "bias motivated."

Browning said there were no indications that anyone else was involved and the danger to churches was over.

"This community is safe again," Browning said at a news conference. "We are extremely, unequivocally confident that we have the person who is responsible for these tragic crimes."

The Rev. Harry Richard, pastor of Greater Union Baptist Church, which was destroyed, said the arrest put him at ease and let him sleep at night.

"I felt relieved my congregation didn't have to worry anymore," said Richard, who was told of the arrest late Wednesday. "I was reassured that law enforcement was on our side, that things were finally coming to an end."

Investigators used surveillance video, cellphone tracking and a Wal-Mart receipt to help identify Matthews, who was arrested late Wednesday.

A red gas can recovered at one of the churches was sold at Wal-Mart locations, and the company's investigators found that the same type of gas can, automotive cloths and a lighter were bought March 25 at a store in Opelousas. The debit card used in that purchase belonged to Matthews, according to court documents.

"The purchase time on this receipt is less than three hours before the first church fire was reported," an affidavit said.

In addition, cellphone tower data showed Matthews was in the area of all three fires. And surveillance video from businesses and homes near the churches and on the roads to and from each fire scene repeatedly showed a "light colored extended-cab truck" that was consistent with the beige pickup that belonged to Matthews' father. Matthews apparently drove the truck to buy the gas can and other items, according to the court documents.

St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz confirmed that the suspect was the son of deputy Roy Matthews, whom he described as an excellent employee who knew nothing of his son's actions.

The elder Matthews was heartbroken when told his son was a suspect, the sheriff said.

"He broke down," Guidroz said. "It was hard." He said the father arranged for the son to leave the house and go to a place where he could be arrested without incident. He did not elaborate.

The younger Matthews was arrested on three counts of simple arson of a religious building. A conviction could bring up to 15 years in prison on each count, Browning said.

Gov. John Bel Edwards said the fires were "especially painful" because they were a reminder "of a very dark past of intimidation and fear."

"This is a reflection of one depraved individual," he added. "It is not a reflection on the state of Louisiana."

Each church catered to an African American congregation in a rural setting, and each was rendered a charred disaster scene as a result of intense flames.

The fires set many people on edge in and around Opelousas, about 140 miles northwest of New Orleans.

"It's not a super tiny city," Brent Swann, a white, 24-year-old employee at a car rental agency said hours before the arrest. "But it's small enough to where a lot of people know each other, a lot of people go to these same churches together."

Matthews had shown interest in "black metal," an extreme subgenre of heavy metal linked, in some instances, to fires at Christian churches in Norway in the 1990s, Browning said.

A Facebook page that appeared to belong to Matthews showed him with the words "black metal" spray painted on a wall behind him. He also posted a comment on a movie's portrayal of black metal musician Varg Vikernes, a far-right figure convicted of manslaughter and arson at three churches.

Black metal lyrics often espouse satanism and paganism, and a few bands feature neo-Nazi beliefs.

The fires happened over a 10-day period. The first blaze torched the St. Mary Baptist Church on March 26 in Port Barre, a town just outside of Opelousas. Days later, the Greater Union Baptist Church and Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Opelousas were burned. Each was more than 100 years old.

The churches were empty at the time, and no one was injured. Investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were still combing the scene at Mount Pleasant and warning onlookers away on Wednesday, a week after the fire.

At Greater Union, which burned April 2, the flames caused exterior walls of brick and wood to collapse on rows of metal folding chairs. All that was left of an upright piano was the lattice work of steel strings.

"At this point, we're trying to head toward normal," Richard said Thursday. "Get back to where we were, if possible."

McGill reported from New Orleans. Associated Press writers Stacey Plaisance in Opelousas, Louisiana, and Michael Kunzelman in College Park, Maryland, contributed to this report.</s>OPELOUSAS, La. — The suspect in a string of fires that destroyed three black churches in rural Louisiana is the white son of a sheriff's deputy whose father helped arrange for his arrest, authorities said Thursday.

Holden Matthews, 21, was jailed without bail on arson charges in connection with the blazes in and around Opelousas, a city of 16,000 where the flame-gutted remains of the buildings evoked memories of civil rights era violence.

Louisiana Fire Marshal Butch Browning offered no motive for the fires. He and other officials stopped short of calling them hate crimes. Eric Rommal, the agent in charge of the New Orleans FBI office, said investigators were still looking into whether the fires were "bias motivated."

Browning said there were no indications that anyone else was involved and the danger to churches was over.

"This community is safe again," he told a news conference. "We are extremely, unequivocally confident that we have the person who is responsible for these tragic crimes."

The Rev. Harry Richard, pastor of Greater Union Baptist Church, which was destroyed, said the arrest put him at ease and let him sleep at night.

"I felt relieved my congregation didn't have to worry anymore," said Richard, who was told of the arrest late Wednesday. "I was reassured that law enforcement was on our side, that things were finally coming to an end."

Investigators used surveillance video, cellphone tracking and a Walmart receipt to help identify Matthews, who was arrested late Wednesday. They moved quickly, arresting him within 12 hours because they were worried that "other crimes were imminent," Browning said.

The charred remains of a red gas can recovered at one of the churches was sold at Walmart locations, and the company's investigators found that the same type of gas can was bought March 25 at a store in Opelousas, along with automotive cloths and a lighter.

The debit card used in that purchase belonged to Matthews, according to court documents.

"The purchase time on this receipt is less than three hours before the first church fire was reported," an affidavit said.

In addition, cellphone tower data showed Matthews was in the area of all three fires. Surveillance video from businesses and homes near the churches, and on the roads to and from each fire scene, repeatedly showed a vehicle that was consistent with the beige pickup that belonged to Matthews' father. Matthews apparently drove the truck to buy the gas can and other items, according to the court documents.

St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz confirmed that the suspect was the son of deputy Roy Matthews, whom he described as an excellent employee who knew nothing of his son's actions.

The elder Matthews was heartbroken when told his son was a suspect, the sheriff said.

"He broke down," Guidroz said. "It was hard." He said the father arranged for the son to leave the house and go to a place where he could be arrested without incident. He did not elaborate.

The younger Matthews was arrested on three counts of arson of a religious building. A conviction could bring up to 15 years in prison on each count, Browning said.

The fires set many people on edge in and around Opelousas, about 140 miles northwest of New Orleans.

An Associated Press reporter was turned away from what was believed to be the home the suspect shared with his parents.

Matthews had a defender in Nygyl Bryyn, a Facebook friend who identified himself as a south Louisiana native, musician, entrepreneur and agent. In a telephone interview from Los Angeles, Brynn described Matthews as a talented, sometimes frustrated musician but not a racist or violent person.

"As far as being a white supremacist? No. Absolutely not," Brynn said.

Bryyn said he met Matthews after moving out of state when Matthews, who played guitar and sang, answered an online ad while seeking a record deal. They worked together and met face to face over the years.

Matthews had long been upset with his parents for not supporting his musical efforts, Bryyn said. He also said Matthews had been discouraged in recent months as Bryyn urged him to improve the quality of his recordings. But Bryyn said he never sensed anger that would lead to arson.

Matthews had shown interest in "black metal," an extreme subgenre of heavy metal, Browning said. The music has been linked, in some instances, to fires at Christian churches in Norway in the 1990s.

A Facebook page that appeared to belong to Matthews showed him with the words "black metal" spray painted on a wall behind him. He also posted a comment on a movie's portrayal of black metal musician Varg Vikernes, a far-right figure convicted of manslaughter and arson at three churches.

Black metal lyrics often espouse satanism and paganism, and a few bands feature neo-Nazi beliefs.

Bryyn acknowledged that some people involved in black metal music have expressed racist ideas, but he insisted it's not typical of the genre.

"We've got friends of all races," he said. "This is a very large community. Despite the awful image, this is the most loving community you could imagine."

The fires happened over a 10-day period. The first blaze torched the St. Mary Baptist Church on March 26 in Port Barre, a town just outside of Opelousas. Days later, the Greater Union Baptist Church and Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Opelousas were burned. Each was more than 100 years old.

The churches were empty at the time, and no one was injured.

Denzel Washington, a 23-year-old black resident of Opelousas, lamented the loss for the congregations that now have to rebuild.

"But what's the sense in hate? Forgiven. Forgive what he's done. It's not going to change nothing," he said.

McGill reported from New Orleans and Opelousas. Associated Press writers Stacey Plaisance in Opelousas, and Michael Kunzelman in College Park, Maryland, contributed to this report.</s>Officials say the man arrested in connection to the burning of three historically black churches in Louisiana may have been influenced by black metal.

Holden Matthews, 21, the son of St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Deputy Roy Matthews, was arrested and charged with three counts of simple arson on a religious building. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of 15 years.

“We can now confirm all three of these fires are intentionally set and all three of these fires are related,” State Fire Marshal Butch Browning said.

The motive is still under investigation but Browning said Matthews may have been influenced by “black metal music,” which has been associated to church burnings.

Black metal is an aggressive, fast-tempo, heavily distorted sub-genre of heavy metal music with origins in Scandinavia. In the early 1990s, a rash of church arsons in Norway by fans of the music were described by leaders of the movement as acts of protest against Christianity ruling over a country rooted in Paganism.

A spokesperson for the FBI says Matthews’ father was heartbroken when he found out his son had been identified as the suspect. Officials say Matthews had no prior arrests and no history of violence.

Officials dispelled rumors that Matthews’ father had turned him in to authorities, saying this arrest was made possible by “old-fashioned boots on the ground law enforcement,” and the hard work of several agencies involved.

“I don’t know what this young man’s motive, I don’t know what was in his heart ... but it cannot be justified,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said.

The churches were empty at the time of each fire and no one was hurt.

Earlier this week, the NAACP said the church burnings were “domestic terrorism,” targeting people because of their skin color and faith. Browning said the FBI will lead any investigations into a possible motive of hate.

Governor John Bel Edwards says they have no reason to believe these fires were related to another church in Caddo Parish.</s>The 21-year-old son of a sheriff's deputy is accused of burning down three historically black churches in Louisiana.

Holden Matthews faces charges of three counts of simple arson on religious buildings. If convicted he could be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison per charge, State Fire Marshal Butch Browning said at a news conference.

Authorities said they are working to determine if racial bias was a motivation in the alleged crimes, and if the suspect was influenced by a subgenre of music linked to white nationalist ideology.

Matthew's father, Roy Matthews, is a St. Landry Parish sheriff's deputy, and was unaware of his son's alleged involvement and was not personally part of the investigation, Sheriff Bobby Guidroz told reporters. All three churches that were burned were in St. Landry Parish, north of Lafayette.

"That's tough," Guidroz said after Roy Matthews learned of his son's alleged connection. "That tells you, and it should tell the country, no matter who you are, there are consequences."

Holden Matthews, who was taken into custody late Wednesday without incident, has a possible connection with "black metal" music and "its associated history with church burnings in other parts of the world," the fire marshal said.

"This is an attack on the house of God," he said.

On a Facebook page that appears to belong to Matthews, he is listed as the lead singer of a band called Vodka Vultures and is pictured in front of graffiti that says "black metal."

Officials said that Matthews didn't have a criminal history, but they had arrested him in an effort to avert "what could have been other crimes."

An investigator said in an affidavit filed in the case that a charred gas can was found near the origin of one of the fires and that the same type of gas can, as well as automotive shop towels and a lighter, was bought at a Walmart late on March 25 less than three hours before the first church fire was reported.

In addition, Matthews was driving a pickup truck and surveillance video one of the fires showed a truck of that type; and cell phone tower data showed GPS coordinates put a device with a cell phone number known to belong to Matthews in the surrounding area of all three fires, according to the affidavit.

An attorney whom a court clerk said was listed as representing Matthews did not immediately return a phone message Thursday.

FBI agents said that the agency still needed to "gather all the facts" to determine if the blazes were a "bias-related event."

About 200 people, including from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, were on the case. The three churches were historically black and more than 100 years old, according to the NAACP branch in Lafayette.

The first fire was reported March 26 at St. Mary Baptist Church in Port Barre; the second on April 2 at the Greater Union Baptist Church in Opelousas; and the third last Thursday at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, also in Opelousas.

The churches were empty at the time of the fires, officials said, and each suffered considerable damage, forcing worshippers to hold Sunday services at other locations. (A fourth fire last weekend at a church with a predominantly white congregation in another parish 200 miles away doesn't appear to be connected, authorities said Thursday.)

St. Landry Parish, with a population of more than 83,000, is about 56 percent white and 42 percent black, census data shows. Guidroz said police in the parish worked with pastors at other black churches to step up safety patrols.

The fires have been unnerving for churchgoers in the region because they conjure up images of attacks on black churches in the South during the civil rights movement, and more recently, during the 1990s.

"It has been especially painful because it reminds us of a very dark past of intimidation and fear," Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said at Thursday's news conference.

Keegan Hankes, a senior research analyst at the Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups, said white nationalists or neo-Nazi members have ties to bands that play black metal — itself categorized as a subgenre of heavy metal.

"Just to be clear, not all black metal has to do with far-right politics, and a lot of people outwardly reject (black metal musician Varg Vikernes) for his far-right politics," Hankes said.

Vikernes, who had been a member of the Norwegian band Mayhem, was convicted in the 1990s of manslaughter in the stabbing death of a fellow bandmate and for arson attacks on three churches in Norway, The Associated Press reported. He was later paroled and living in France, where officials in 2013 dropped terror charges against him but still wanted to take him to court for alleged anti-Semitic and xenophobic messages.

The SPLC said Matthews appeared to comment on Facebook about a 2018 movie, "Lords of Chaos," based on Vikernes and his band. The movie drew debate about its accuracy. In the post, Matthews said he enjoyed the film.

Hankes said there was nothing associated with Matthews' account that immediately suggested he had any greater connection with Vikernes.

Dana Nichols, the special agent in charge with the ATF's New Orleans division, said Thursday that there is "zero tolerance" for these attacks, particularly on houses of worship.

"With today's arrest, I want to send a strong message to those individuals who wish to engage in this heinous senseless crime: The church is a sacred place and it is the foundation of our faith and what this country is built on," she said.

"You cannot destroy our faith. We can have church anywhere," Nichols said, adding, "We'll have church in the very parking lot of the building you destroyed."
Police in Louisiana arrest Holden Matthews, a suspect in arson at three historically African-American churches in the past weeks which the NAACP flagged as hate crimes. Matthews is the son of a local deputy sheriff. He has ties to black metal music and commented on memes about musician Varg Vikernes, a neo-Nazi who boasted about burning churches in Norway and was imprisoned for arson and murder, but researchers are unsure if they prove hate was his motive.