The purchase of a new home can keep a buyer busy, especially with all of the initial remodeling and furnishing that takes place to improve the look of the house. One homeowner decided that instead, while she was having parts of her home remodeled, she wanted to destroy one portion to bring in some extra cash.

In January of 2009, Theresa Norton purchased a home in Pierce, Idaho for $85,000. She took out an insurance policy on the house for $240,000, and began to move in some items and remodel parts of the home that spring before moving her family in permanently that June.

In April, however, the local fire department responded to a blaze at Norton's new residence. Officials determined that the fire started on a bed in the basement the previous day. A gas cap was discovered, increasing the likeliness that the fire had spread with the help of an accelerant.

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