Back in June 2021, we first reported the intriguing story of the late pastor Jon Hughes Allen, a man who left a trail of burning questions across the United States—from the Grand Canyon to Orange County, California, and finally to Winslow, Arkansas.
To fully capture this tale, it's best to start from the end, beginning with his arrest at age 72 for one count of arson.
Allen was accused of setting fire to his own home in Winslow. On June 23, 2015, at approximately 4:26 p.m., firefighters responded to an automatic fire alarm at Allen’s residence. According to an affidavit, the alarm had gone off at 4:10 p.m. Upon arrival, firefighters encountered heavy black smoke and visible flames.
Recently, our team revisited this story and uncovered new, explosive findings, which we are eager to share with our readers.
According to records obtained by Today in Fort Smith, then-Corporal Tyler McCartney documented the following in his incident report:
On Tuesday, June 23, 2015, at 16:10 hours, the Boston Mountain Fire Department responded to an automatic fire alarm at 21968 South HWY 71. They arrived at the scene at 16:26 hours to find the structure fully engulfed in heavy black smoke and flames. Firefighters engaged in a defensive operation and requested additional manpower from the West Fork Fire Department.
Despite their efforts, they were unable to contain and extinguish the fire, resulting in the house being a total loss. At 17:01 hours, the Washington County Sheriff's Office dispatch center notified McCartney, requesting a fire marshal representative. He arrived on scene at 17:26 hours. The weather conditions were 90°F, with southwest winds at 7 mph and 52% humidity.
The building was a two-story, wood-frame residential dwelling constructed in 1948. It had a pier beam foundation for part of the living area and a concrete slab for the rest. The truss roof was covered with asphalt shingles, and the exterior walls were wood siding. The interior walls were covered with gypsum, some of which were paneled with wood.
Electricity was provided by OG&E via a meter on the west side of the house, and propane was supplied by a tank located just north of the structure, which was about half full. The property, owned by Carol Saucier Allen and insured by USAA, faced south on a north-south axis.
Upon arrival, McCartney met with Chief Dewey Drummond of the Boston Mountain Fire Department. Chief Drummond had seen a column of black smoke while en route to the fire station. Upon arrival, he found the house fully involved in flames. McCartney also met Deputies Brian Velasco and Steven Carter. Deputy Carter introduced McCartney to Jon Allen, the resident.
Allen explained that he was mowing the lawn when he saw a red vehicle leaving his driveway and heading south on HWY 71. He tried to wave down the vehicle but did not recognize it. Allen noticed smoke coming from his residence and, upon approaching, saw flames coming from the roof vent on the east side.
He went inside to retrieve essential items, including his keys, a security box with important documents, his guns, and his daughter's wedding dress. Jon Allen also mentioned that a gasoline can, which had been next to his motor home by the garage, was now missing. He believed the occupants of the red vehicle had taken it, poured the gasoline in the garage, and set the fire.
When asked if he had any enemies, Allen said no. McCartney informed him that everyone present at the scene had to be cleared and requested Allen to come in for an interview and polygraph, to which Allen agreed. Allen reiterated that the flames were first seen coming from the open garage door.
In the report, McCartney continues with: "I asked Jon if it was alright for me to take initial photos of the structure and then get back with him shortly, and he said that would be fine. I then spoke with Deputy Carter about Jon's statement. After comparing notes with Deputy Carter, we found several inconsistencies in Jon's account.
These included whether he saw a car leave the scene, saw only silhouettes of people, or saw two white males. He told me he was mowing but told Deputy Carter he was talking to a friend in front of the house. Jon also alternated between saying he called 911 and saying he tried but was unsuccessful. There were multiple other inconsistencies between Jon’s statements to Deputy Carter and me.
While Jon was talking to family members arriving on the scene, I proceeded to take photos of the house. Afterward, I approached Jon and asked if he would be willing to fill out a written witness form and sign a consent-to-search form. Jon said he had spoken to his cousin, who is a lawyer, and decided not to sign anything at that time. However, he agreed to answer my questions and complete the witness statement form later.
I asked Jon if someone had burned down his house, wouldn’t he want to find out who did it. He replied that he would, but he did not want us searching his property or conducting an origin and cause report at that time. Jon felt he was being treated as a suspect and did not want to be investigated.
I asked Jon if a crime had been committed, either by him or by the two unknown people, and he said yes, by the two people in the red car that fled the scene. I informed Jon that we would issue a be-on-the-lookout (BOLO) alert to surrounding agencies for that vehicle. I then told Jon that the garage was a key location for evidence and asked him where he thought the gasoline was poured.
Jon suggested the west wall of the garage. When I asked if he poured the gasoline there, Jon denied it, saying he believed the unknown individuals did.
At this point, Jon had his lawyer on the phone, who requested to speak with me. The lawyer instructed that I was not to speak to Jon or be on the property without the lawyer present. I informed the lawyer that a deputy would remain at the house overnight and that I would be obtaining a search warrant for the following day."
And this is where the story takes an intriguing turn. As the fire department arrived, Deputy Velasco asked Jon to provide a statement. Jon stated he was mowing an overgrown area west of his house when he saw a small red car, similar to a Toyota, driving away from his property.
He tried to flag it down but only managed to see it briefly as it turned south onto Hwy 71. Jon described the car as small and red, with two white males with short hair inside. Crawford County was notified and a BOLO (Be On the Lookout) was issued for the vehicle.
Another witness, Marion, who lives in Mulberry, reported seeing smoke as he was driving home. When he pulled into Jon’s driveway, he saw the house fully engulfed in flames. Before entering the driveway, Marion noticed a silver four-door car, similar to an older model Pontiac Grand Prix, leaving the scene. A white female with long hair was driving the car. Marion provided a witness statement but did not witness anything else.
Jon's wife, Diane Allen, arrived at the scene after Jon had called her about the fire. She did not know how the fire started and did not suspect anyone. Diane mentioned that Jon handled their finances, so she was unsure about the home’s insurance status.
When asked if Jon could have accidentally or purposely set the fire, she hesitated and mentioned that Jon had told her not to call anyone about the fire, but she called 911 anyway. Despite this, she did not believe Jon had any reason to set the fire.
During the investigation, one of Jon’s sons revealed that Jon had retrieved some property from the house before it was fully engulfed, which Jon had not mentioned to the authorities or his wife. Jon initially described the flames as "gigantic."
Diane was extremely upset when she arrived, repeatedly mentioning her daughter’s wedding dress, which was in the house, as her daughter was getting married in a couple of weeks. Despite her distress, Jon did not inform her that he had retrieved the dress from the house.
McCartney continued in the incident report, noting several oddities in Jon's statements. Initially, Jon mentioned talking to someone before the fire but later claimed he didn’t remember saying that. He also told both Deputy Velasco and McCartney that he saw the red car leaving the driveway.
Although Jon said he only glimpsed the car through some bushes, he managed to describe two white males with short haircuts. McCartney found it unusual that Jon was working in the yard at that time of day, as it was approximately 90°F. The area Jon claimed to be working in was exposed and lacked shade, making it an unlikely spot for outdoor work in such heat.
As we delve deeper into the incident report, more concerning details emerge. A few days after the fire, McCartney called Diane Allen to inquire about their financial situation and where they banked. Diane expressed discomfort in sharing that information. McCartney then obtained Jon and Diane's financial records and discovered that Jon had eight liens against the house, totaling $33,221.
Jon explained that Lake Hills Church, where he was the pastor, had liens due to unpaid employee taxes. The church itself had five liens amounting to $82,708. In his second interview, Jon claimed these liens were his responsibility, but in a third interview, he denied any knowledge or responsibility for them. It seems that Jon Allen could not get his story straight.
A witness later called to inform me that Jon and Diane were fighting and considering divorce, information they claimed to have received from one of the couple’s children.
During the second interview, Jon declined a polygraph test on his attorney's advice. He said he would only take the test if McCartney took one first, as he believed McCartney to be lying.
McCartney agreed to the polygraph, but Jon insisted he couldn't take the test that day, needing to consult his lawyer. When asked if he would take the test if his lawyer advised against it, Jon said no. According to the incident report, Jon Allen was then informed that this was his last chance to take a polygraph, but he declined.
We have attached the incident report to this story for the public to review. Our staff is deeply intrigued by this case, and before we launch part two, we encourage anyone with information about Jon Hughes Allen to come forward.
Additionally, it is important to note that in June 2017, according to court records, the charges against Allen were dropped due to insufficient evidence. Allen collected a $100,000 insurance payout on his home and received an additional $15,078 from a GoFundMe campaign organized by his daughter, Rachel Allen Cobb.
Despite the allegations against her father, Rachel appeared unfazed and even posted this on the GoFundMe page: “I'm also still praying for a miracle—that the crooked detective will not be able to do this to another family.”
Interestingly, Rachel Allen Cobb’s own house burned down in Oklahoma in 2012. More details about that fire can be found here.
Additionally, Rachel Allen Cobb has shared her experiences with house fires on her blog, “Joy from the Ashes.” You can read more about her story here.
You can also access all the booking information for Hughes Allen by clicking the following link:
House fires seem to be a recurring theme in the Allen family. Given Rachel’s previous experience, it’s perhaps unsurprising that she remains undeterred by the allegations against her father.
We are not surprised to report that Jon Allen, the pastor of Lake Hills Church, which founded Alpha Christian Preschool, surrounded himself with a group of leaders with controversial pasts. One leader faced charges of theft by receiving in the late 1990s and was later accused of child molestation in the mid-2000s.
Another leader was accused of having sex with an underage girl. Additionally, two other men in leadership positions at Lake Hills Church admitted to but were never charged with pornography-related addictions and crimes.
As we delve deeper into the truth behind Jon Hughes Allen and his family for our upcoming series of stories and the new podcast "We Didn't Start the Fire," we invite anyone with information to contact us.
Your anonymity will be guaranteed.
