Man charged with murders in Christmas Day apartment fire has previous arson convictions ‘I kept begging him to get help,’ mother of 26-year-old accused tells Free Press By: Chris Kitching and Dean Pritchard Posted: 12:05 PM CST Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023 Last Modified: 8:13 PM CST Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023 Updates

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A Winnipeg man accused of killing two people and injuring four others in a deliberately set fire at a downtown apartment block on Christmas Day has past arson convictions, court records show.

City police have charged Ethan Powderhorn, 26, with two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of Roger Glen Doblej and Suzanne Helen McCooeye.

Doblej, 63, and McCooeye, 70, were killed by one of two fires Powderhorn allegedly lit over a four-hour period inside a suite at the Warwick Apartments at Qu’Appelle Avenue and Carlton Street.

One of McCooeye’s cousins was disturbed to learn arson is the alleged cause of the double fatal fire.

“That is shocking, and I am disgusted and appalled that someone could do that,” said the woman, who requested that her name be withheld. “I am glad (a suspect) was caught and will face trial and pay for this.”

Powderhorn’s mother, Yolanda, said her son denied setting a fire inside the suite, where he lived, when they spoke before he was arrested Dec. 30.

“My son got burned himself — his (clothes) and his hair,” she said. “He said, ‘Mom, don’t worry about it. It wasn’t me, I didn’t set the fire.’”

Powderhorn is also charged with four counts of arson with disregard for human life for the Christmas Day fire, and one count of arson causing damage to property for a garbage-bin blaze on nearby Kennedy Street around noon on Dec. 10, police said.

The second and larger blaze on Dec. 25 forced 42 people to flee the Manitoba Housing complex, which is next to Central Park.

Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service members rescued residents — some with disabilities — who were trapped in their suites.

‘I have made some bad mistakes’

In 2021, Powderhorn pleaded guilty to arson with disregard for life, arson causing damage to property and other offences, according to court records.

He was sentenced to 293 days in jail and two years of supervised probation.

Court heard Powderhorn set fire to a dumpster on Sherbrook Street, and hours later set a discarded mattress on fire on Maryland Street.

When arrested, he told police he felt he had been “wronged” during previous encounters with people at the locations, Crown attorney Jodi Koffman told court at the time.

Court heard Powderhorn was diagnosed with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and is low functioning, with a family history of learning disabilities.

At 18, he was “essentially left to his own devices, became criminally involved, and began using illegal substances,” Koffman said.

Powderhorn is under the care of the Public Trustee, but received little in the way of housing support, court was told.

“I am not a bad person,” he wrote in a letter read out in court in 2021. “I have made some bad mistakes. I have learned my lesson that starting fires… is bad. I am overall a nice person who is easy to get along with.”

”I have learned my lesson that starting fires… is bad.”–Ethan Powderhorn

On Christmas Day, Powderhorn allegedly lit two fires in a suite; the WFPS responded to the first incident shortly before 12:20 a.m.

Firefighters quickly extinguished the small blaze using a pail of water and pump can, said police, who weren’t involved in the response.

The Free Press was told a suspect was not present in the suite when the lone fire crew was at the scene. No one was injured.

“My understanding is the first fire was a very minor, contained fire, and nothing that required further investigation,” said police spokeswoman Const. Dani McKinnon. “It appeared to be a fairly innocuous type of fire.”

The second blaze, reported shortly after 4 a.m., engulfed the suite, sending flames and heavy smoke to other parts of the building.

Firefighters battled the flames inside the six-storey block, while searching and evacuating suites.

Doblej, McCooeye and four other people, ages 47 to 79, were taken to hospital. Doblej and McCooeye later died of their injuries.

Mom previously reported son

Yolanda Powderhorn said police dropped off her son at her home on Christmas Day, warning him he would be charged if investigators determined the cause was arson.

He told her the fire was caused by a heater, and he tried to put it out with an extinguisher given to him by a neighbour, she said.

“That was his place. I don’t see why he would set his own place on fire,” said Yolanda Powderhorn.

She said she previously reported him to police for allegedly setting fires, hoping he would get help for substance use and other issues.

“My son’s been through a lot,” she said. “I kept begging him to get help.”

Powderhorn was held in custody following his arrest.

“My son’s been through a lot. I kept begging him to get help.”–Yolanda Powderhorn

The arrest led to a suspect being linked to the Kennedy Street fire, said McKinnon.

‘She was very kind and loving’

The Warwick fire raised Winnipeg’s already-record homicide total to 53 in 2022.

McCooeye, who is survived by two sisters, was originally from Thunder Bay.

“She was very kind and loving,” her cousin said. “I can just say that her sisters will miss her very much. Even though they lived in different cities they love each other very much.

“We are all saddened, and this has actually been the seventh death for my family in 2022. It has been a very hard year.”

Born in Mud River, Ont., Doblej moved to Winnipeg as a young adult, and was “rich” with laughter and jokes, according to a published obituary.

He was visiting a friend in her apartment when the fire began, and he died due to smoke inhalation, the obituary said.

The obituary also stated he developed ailments and mobility issues after being hit by a vehicle in April 2016.

His sister declined to comment.

Manitoba Housing provided hotel rooms for the displaced Warwick residents.

“All tenants on the first, second, fifth and sixth floors will be returning to their units (Wednesday), with the exception of two units that sustained heavy water damage,” a government spokesperson wrote in an email.

“Hotel stays are being extended for the remaining tenants while the department makes alternate arrangements.”

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @chriskitching

dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca