Man charged with arson in Hotel of Terror fire

A man has been charged with arson in connection with a building fire at the Hotel of Terror haunted attraction in downtown Springfield.

Michael D. Howerton, 55, has been charged by the Greene County Prosecutor's Office with arson in the second degree, according to Missouri court records. City officials said in a news release that the Springfield Fire Department responded to Hotel of Terror, 334 N. Main Ave., shortly after 9 a.m. on Feb. 7 and extinguished a fire that was contained to the exterior of the building.

Reached this morning, Hotel of Terror owner Sterling Mathis said he pressed charges against the suspect.

"Apparently, he was throwing gas or something on the front of the building trying to light it on fire," Mathis said.

A probable cause statement from the Springfield Fire Department indicates Howerton is alleged to have confessed to igniting the fire using gasoline he bought at a gas station after first trying to light the fire with liquid in a vodka bottle. Noting he acted alone, Howerton is also accused of using a rock to break off the doorknob. 

Mathis said the building was lightly impacted by the fire, which caused minor damage to the middle door and the wood adjacent to it. He said he has replaced the door handle and is assessing whether further repairs are needed.

Additional signatures
For Hotel of Terror, the fire this weekend occurred amid a high-profile property dispute involving the haunted attraction and a gathering of signatures in an attempt to repeal an eminent domain ordinance passed by City Council in December.

On Jan. 29, Springfield City Clerk Anita Cotter said a petition to repeal the ordinance was insufficient because her office was able to certify only 1,374 signatures, out of a rough total of 2,407 signatures submitted by Mathis on Jan. 9. For the petition to trigger a citywide referendum, it needs 1,499 signatures, or 10% of the city’s qualified voters who participated in the most recent election.

Mathis and his supporters were given 10 days to amend the petition, meaning today at 5 p.m. is the deadline.

In the interview this morning, Mathis said he had gathered the needed signatures and planned to turn them in by day's end.

The city’s goal in removing the Hotel of Terror building is to replace the nearby Main Avenue bridge, according to past reporting. The bridge is at the west end of the first phase of the city’s Renew Jordan Creek project, which is creating a parklike amenity along a restored, once-buried stream.

Springfield Business Journal previously reported that Mathis and the city have been unable to reach acceptable terms on a building purchase.