Someone threw gasoline onto the porch and set it ablaze
Four months after a man was engulfed in flames on a porch in Columbia, Missouri, justice has begun its slow turn. Brandon Butchkoski, 47, was arrested Thursday for the June 15 attack in which gasoline was allegedly thrown onto Donovan Baylis, 31, and ignited — injuries from which Baylis died a month later at a St. Louis hospital. The arrest arrives not in isolation, but amid a pattern of alleged violence in the same neighborhood, raising questions about how long a community endures before accountability finds its way to a door.
- A 31-year-old man was doused in gasoline and set on fire on his own porch — a deliberate, intimate act of violence that took his life nearly a month later.
- For four months, the Paris Road neighborhood carried the weight of an unsolved killing while the alleged perpetrator remained free and, according to police, continued causing harm.
- Butchkoski now faces a compounding legal reckoning: murder and arson charges from June 15, a second arson attempt just two weeks later, and an illegal weapons charge from August.
- Court hearings on October 20 and October 28 will begin to test the evidence, with investigators pointing to the use of gasoline as a sign of premeditation rather than impulse.
- The arrest offers a measure of forward motion for a grieving community, though the full weight of what was lost — a young man's life — remains irreversible.
Four months after Donovan Baylis was set on fire on a porch in Columbia, police have arrested the man they believe responsible. Brandon Butchkoski, 47, was taken into custody Thursday and charged with second-degree murder and first-degree arson in connection with the June 15 attack on the 1500 block of Paris Road.
A witness, speaking anonymously out of safety concerns, told ABC 17News that someone threw gasoline onto the porch where Baylis was standing before igniting it. Baylis suffered severe burns, was rushed to a St. Louis hospital, and died from his injuries on July 14 — nearly a month after the attack.
The arrest does not stand alone. Just two weeks after the fatal fire, Butchkoski allegedly attempted to set another house ablaze on the same stretch of Paris Road. He was charged with first-degree arson and drug possession in that case, posted a $10,000 bond in September, and has a hearing scheduled for October 20. A separate illegal gun possession charge from August carries its own court date on October 28.
The cluster of alleged incidents within a single neighborhood over a matter of weeks points to a concentrated period of deliberate violence. Investigators note that the use of gasoline as an accelerant suggests the June 15 attack was planned, not impulsive. As multiple court dates approach, the legal process will begin to reckon with the full scope of what unfolded — and what it cost.
Four months after a man was set on fire on a porch in Columbia, police have arrested the person they believe was responsible. Brandon Butchkoski, 47, was taken into custody on Thursday and charged with second-degree murder and first-degree arson in connection with the June 15 fire that killed Donovan Baylis, 31.
The attack happened in the 1500 block of Paris Road. According to a witness who spoke to ABC 17News on condition of anonymity—citing safety concerns—someone threw gasoline onto the porch where Baylis was standing, then set it ablaze. The victim suffered severe burns and was rushed to a hospital in St. Louis. He died from those injuries on July 14, nearly a month after the attack.
Butchkoski's arrest comes as he faces a mounting list of charges in the same area. In late June, just two weeks after the fatal fire, he allegedly attempted to set another house on fire on Paris Road. He was charged with first-degree arson and drug possession in that case. Court records show he posted a $10,000 bond on September 9 and has a hearing scheduled for Monday, October 20. Additionally, he was charged with illegal gun possession in August, with a hearing set for Tuesday, October 28.
The pattern of incidents—two arson attempts within weeks of each other in the same neighborhood—suggests a concentrated period of violence in the area. Baylis's death represents the most severe consequence of what police now believe was deliberate, violent conduct. The use of gasoline as an accelerant indicates premeditation rather than a spontaneous act.
With multiple court dates approaching and serious felony charges pending, the legal process will unfold over the coming weeks. The case underscores how a single act of violence can have cascading consequences, not only for the victim and his family but also for the community where it occurred.
Notable Quotes
A witness said they saw someone throw gasoline onto the porch, lighting the victim on fire— Anonymous witness to ABC 17News
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why did it take four months to make an arrest in a case where there was a witness?
That's a fair question. Witness testimony alone, especially from someone who wants to remain anonymous, often requires corroboration—physical evidence, forensic work, maybe surveillance footage. Arson investigations are complex.
The source says Butchkoski was charged with another arson attempt just two weeks later, in the same area. Does that pattern help explain the arrest now?
Almost certainly. When someone commits similar crimes in the same location in a short timeframe, investigators start seeing a profile. The second attempt may have given them evidence—maybe he was caught, maybe there was video—that connected him to the first.
He posted bond in September on the second arson charge. Why wasn't he held?
Bond decisions depend on what a judge thinks will happen. If there wasn't enough evidence yet linking him to the fatal fire, the judge might have seen him as a risk for the June 29 case but not a flight risk overall. That changes once you charge someone with murder.
What strikes you most about this case?
The specificity of it. This wasn't random. Someone threw gasoline on another person and lit them on fire. That's not a moment of rage—that's deliberate. And then doing it again two weeks later suggests either desperation or a complete disregard for consequence.
Baylis died a month after the attack. Did he know who did it?
The source doesn't say. If he did, that information isn't public yet. But it's possible he couldn't identify his attacker, or the investigation proceeded without relying on his account.