NEWTON COUNTY, Texas — The home of a Newton County murder suspect was destroyed by a fire over the weekend, and investigators believe someone intentionally caused the blaze.
John Peck was arrested last week for the 2017 murder of Randy Holmes.
Peck, 41, was indicted by a grand jury on March 5. He surrendered to Newton Co. officials with his attorney Bill Morian shortly after that indictment was handed down.
Bond for Peck was set at $1 million. According to Newton County jail records, Peck was behind bars until Saturday morning.Investigators say the fire happened within a couple of hours of his release.
The fire at the home on FM 2626 is believed to be arson, Newton County Sheriff Billy Rowles said.
The state fire marshal's office is investigating.
Holmes, 56, of Newton, was reported missing in November 2017. At the time of his disappearance, police said they had reason to believe foul play was involved.
"I feel pretty down because I feel like it's been too long. And I think it was retaliation for things that he had been into," Holmes' mother Betty told 12News in 2018. "You just can't get it off of your mind."
Holmes' remains were not found until November 21, 2019.
According to the grand jury indictment, Holmes was killed around November 24, 2017.
The FBI, Newton County Police Department, the Newton County Sheriff's Office and the attorney general's office has all been involved in the investigation.