Oelwein Woman Charged with Arson in Fire that Destroyed Three Homes

An Oelwein woman has been charged with arson following a Tuesday morning fire that destroyed three homes. KCRG reports Oelwein police arrested 50 year-old Jeannie Marie Murphy of Oelwein on a felony first-degree arson charge and said more charges are possible. The fire started just after 2:00 am Tuesday morning at a home in the 300 block of First Ave NE in Oelwein before spreading to two neighboring homes. All three homes are considered a total loss. Oelwein police did not say what led them to Murphy but said firefighters deemed the fire suspicious in nature. A December 2023 arrest on drug charges listed Murphy’s address as 316 First Ave NE in Oelwein, one of the homes destroyed in Tuesday’s fire. That drug charge was later dismissed. Murphy was also arrested in 2023 and charged with attempted murder for an attack on a detention officer in the Fayette County Jail. She later took a plea deal to assault on persons in certain occupations and received a year probation. Also in 2023, Murphy was charged with domestic assault after Oelwein police said Murphy poured a homemade acid on a man in the home at 316 First Ave NE. She took a plea deal in that case and received a 2-day jail sentence.