DATE: January 13, 2025
SUBJECT: Man Arrested for Arson Following Camper Fire
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-NR-0113
CONTACT: Major Matt Corn
AUTHORITY: Sheriff Noah Robinson
A man has been charged with arson after a fire destroyed a camper on December 30, 2024, in the 2300 block of S. Red Bank Road in Evansville.
Sheriff’s deputies and fire personnel responded to the scene around 3:42 PM and found the camper fully engulfed in flames. Witnesses reported seeing a man, later identified as Joseph Wayne Desper, near the property before the fire and leaving the area in a red truck shortly afterward.
Investigators determined that Desper had entered the camper while intoxicated and allegedly used a gas lighter inside before leaving. Witnesses also stated that Desper had previously made threats to burn the camper, which was being used to store personal belongings. The camper and its contents were completely destroyed.
In early January, a felony warrant for arson, classified as a Level 4 felony, was issued for Desper. On January 12, the investigation led Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s deputies, assigned to the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force, to the 4200 block of Stewartsville Road in Posey County, IN. The address was surrounded, but Desper refused to cooperate and barricaded himself inside the residence. A judicially signed search warrant was obtained and less-lethal munitions were later deployed at the property.
With the assistance of the Posey County Sheriff’s Office, Evansville Police Department SWAT Team, the Indiana State Police, and DNR Conservation, Desper eventually surrendered to law enforcement after a six-hour standoff and was taken into custody without further incident.
Desper faces arson charges related to the fire, and the investigation remains ongoing.
ARRESTED: Joseph Wayne Desper, 45, of Evansville, IN: Arson of a Dwelling , 2 Counts as a Level 4 Felony
Presumption of Innocence Notice: The fact that a person has been arrested or charged with a crime is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.