Conventional wisdom suggests that we experience the most profound, inconsolable regret from “the things we did not do.” But that logic does not hold true for the most enterprising and devious scammers attempting to defraud insurers today.

A case in point is the now-divorced Midwestern duo that is making headlines for their egregious lapse in honoring their duties as insureds and also as parents.

The U.S. Attorney's Office announced the indictments of Steven Henry Kemper, 53, and his ex-wife, Sandra Kay Bryant (formerly known as Sandra Kay Kemper), 55, in connection with three separate house fires that occurred in 1997, 1999 and 2001. As set forth in the federal indictment, Kemper and Bryant may have intentionally set the blazes in anticipation of hefty insurance payouts.

The final arson, which was perpetrated at the couple's suburban St. Louis, Missouri home on Nov. 16, 2001, caused irrevocable damage to not only the structure but also the family unit itself. The indictment asserts that hairspray was used to ignite a fire in a utility room trash can.

Although Bryant, Kemper, and two other adults somehow managed to escape the developing blaze unscathed, 15-year-old Zachariah Andrew Kemper was left trapped in the basement bedroom where he slept–and ultimately died. Sadly, rescuers discovered his lifeless body beside a bed, and mere feet away from a fire extinguisher. Authorities dismiss the notion that the apparently agile adults could have been unaware that Zach was sleeping in the basement at the time. While individual culpability is under review, one thing is certain: the Kempers' inexplicable failure to safeguard their son robbed him of any chance at a future.

In the months following the tragedy, the Kempers allegedly made numerous misrepresentations to several insurers. As a result of their creative interpretations, the couple reportedly received a substantial sum of money (an estimated total of $200,000) under the terms of homeowners' and life insurance coverages.

In 2002, prosecutors charged Bryant alone with arson and first-degree murder. However, the judge in the ensuing trial declared a mistrial after admitting to his own lapse in judgment: mistakenly allowing jurors to hear evidence of a polygraph test. The Missouri Supreme Court held that, because the mistrial was declared over the defense's objection, state prosecutors could not retry Bryant. (The U.S. Constitution's “double jeopardy” provision barred such a pursuit.)

Despite this setback, government agents remained resolute in bringing those responsible to justice. In a presss release, Richard G. Callahan, U.S. Attorney of the Eastern District of Missouri, said the dual indictments represent the culmination of “a major effort by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).” Callahan also praised the “cooperation from the St. Louis County Police Department and the County Prosecutor's Office,” citing them as “important elements” leading to the announcement.

Charged with “aiding and abetting the use of fire to commit mail fraud,” both Bryant and Kemper await a day of reckoning. In addition, Bryant faces a second charge of using fire to commit mail fraud. If convicted, each would receive a mandatory minimum of ten years in prison. The maximum sentence the court could impose in the event of guilty verdicts is life imprisonment. Regardless of the outcome of the proceedings, it seems likely that the former couple will face a lifetime of regret.

Editor's Note: Callahan's office stresses that charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Sources: The U.S. Department of Justice, ATF, and Office of Richard G. Callahan, U.S. Attorney of the Eastern District of Missouri

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