Fred Long pleaded no contest to setting three fires.
- The Shuffle Inn in November 4, 1988 – 2501 W. Beltline – Long was employed as a janitor
and was seen near where the fire was set. Fifty people fled the three-alarm fire.
- Northeast Side warehouse in December 3, 1988 – The warehouse was nearly empty.
- Visions nightclub on July 5, 1988 – 3554 E. Washington Ave. – Fire engulfed the
apartment above Visions. Robert A. Smith (56) died. Long also lived above the nightclub at the time.
Long pleaded no contest to four counts of arson, two counts of
endangering safety regardless of life and one count of felony murder.
Three of the arson counts were for setting fire to buildings; one
involved a car fire.
In a plea agreement with the state it was agreed not to argue for more
than a 45-year prison term. Long was given 64 years in prison.
Long has already been sentenced to 19 years in prison for setting fire
to a wooden door at a Downtown Madison apartment building in December
1988. The incident occurred while Long was on probation from another
arson conviction for setting a 1986 fire at the Carlton Hotel in
Watertown.
"Fred liked to set fires, and Fred like to watch fires. He talked
to us about a lot of fires, but he wouldn't admit to all of them. At
one point he was a suspect in over 20 fires. I think at one point we
figured that he was responsible for more than half the total fire loss
that year."
"Fred would stick around and watch the show. There was more than a
little vanity there. And at the fire at Visions he went on live TV and
claimed that he tried to put it out. He said he tried to save that guy
who was killed in that fire."
Fred Long (23)
