This happened two years before I was born. Both my parents and an aunt watched the hotel burn, witnessed people jumping to their deaths, and saw firefighters removing bodies from the building.They saw the fire from my grandparents house and went to watch it. Downtown Tucson is only a mile or so East of where my grandparents lived at the time. My mother was fifteen, my dad was twenty, and my aunt was of unknown age at the time. From what they described to me about it over the course of my life is this: "It was horrible. You don't ever want to see people die like that." I am fifty years old and have been fortunate enough to have never seen anything like that.
And that Cy Holmes fellow should be embarrassed to even have verbalized something as ridiculous as "Blacks at that point, their background was the use of fire for beneficial purposes." What are we comic book characters?!
I've always believed Louis Taylor most likely did NOT set the Pioneer Hotel Fire. But even if he did, the prosecution's evidence at his 1971 trial was so incredibly weak that I NEVER would have voted to convict had I been on that jury. There was too much REASONABLE DOUBT. And if the cause of the fire is now "undetermined", then Taylor can't legally be guilty of arson.
What a DEMONIC woman , She OBVIOUSLY didn’t care about any evidence , Or making right what was done WRONG to this Man even after ALL THESE YEARS How on earth does she sleep at night
I've had to frequent the building for voc rehab and a law firm. I'm super sensitive to spiritual stuff anyway, and my senaea go through the roof every time I go into the Pioneer building. Straight up gives me the creeps.
The building is not haunted. Tucson is haunted by the building. Although, I am thankful for its existence in one way or another. I am not a fan of the remodel, I am thankful they preserved that part of our history. I get to tell this event to posterity now, show them the building. We can talk about Tucsons ghosts and skeletons and hopefully the next generation can learn from them. Such a tragic event to lie almost forgotten within the cities history. RIP to all those who died and my heart really does go out to all those affected by this. Such a tragic end.
It's so sad that this had to come down to a "deal". The courts, police officers and city should have to pay for what was done to this poor man! But now they won't because he took the deal! But at least he's a free man, he deserves his freedom!
It’s so sad because he finally got let out of prison and he ended up being arrested for Armed robbery...So that means he was falsely accused and held for over 40 years and didn’t receive a single dime for it just sad all around
He should be free, should have never went cuz the evidence wasn't there, but there's a good chance he actually did it. Why was he there? To crash the party? People generally know each other at these sorts of events, a 16-year-old would have stuck out, if a bartender had served him they would remember I'm sure
He was released on 04/02/2013, but four years after his release, Taylor was arrested on suspicion of an armed robbery at a hotel at the age of 63. He pleaded guilty to attempted armed robbery in 2017.
😩 " TERRIFYING!... I recall the national news showing lots of deadly fires, throughout the1970s. Just a year after this one, there was an even deadlier hotel fire in Seoul (South Korea). It wasn't until the mid-1980s that more extensive national fire safety measures became more widely-mandated and installed. "
Man they screwed Louis Taylor royally. I'm so glad that this man is somehow taking it all in stride. I hope a well to do person in the private sector sets Mr. Taylor up real nice since we can't expect our government to do so...
I had no idea this tragedy took place in 1970... I always thought it had been sometime in the mid 60s, judging from the old images and film clips back then... Evidently, improved fire equipment technology, such as the snorkel (first in service in some cities around 1968) hadn't gotten to Tuscon yet..
Dude same. I was asking my grandma about it once, and my mom pipes up from the other room “Yeah, I remember at school the next day we…” and I was like “Whaaaa?”
My uncle did not do this just because he was the only the black guy there. This is disturbing.. My grandpa William Taylor his dad served in world war I and world war II this was despicable blaming him for a crime he didn't commit....
The ‘40’s thru the ‘70’s we’re horrible years for fires in big venues…you would think the US would have heeded those warnings and come up with precautions. Naw…too many political connections.
I guess that former fire official has never been to the rural parts of the west! Plenty of rural, weight folk use fire for clearing or refuse disposal!
He was talking about using fire for financial gain, not burning for refuse or garbage disposal . Setting fire in hotels and then robbing the empty rooms of valuables is as old as time. Also once the fire is extinguished they would hire locals to help rebuild the structure. Unfortunately some of the people hired would be the same ones who lit the fire 🔥
His best excuse for being at a hotel at night on a Sunday is he was trying to hustle some liquor at age 16? BS and lies is usually what trips up guilty people.
@wiibaron - Actually, prior to the fire, Taylor was well known to downtown police as a street kid whose M.O. was hustling up freebies. There were several big holiday parties in the hotel that night, so his "best excuse" is a pretty good one.
"Don" wasn't a suspect in the fire? The cop's on a first name basis with a serial arsonist? THAT'S suspicious all on it's own!
innocent people are convicted more often than most realize
This happened two years before I was born. Both my parents and an aunt watched the hotel burn, witnessed people jumping to their deaths, and saw firefighters removing bodies from the building.They saw the fire from my grandparents house and went to watch it. Downtown Tucson is only a mile or so East of where my grandparents lived at the time. My mother was fifteen, my dad was twenty, and my aunt was of unknown age at the time. From what they described to me about it over the course of my life is this: "It was horrible. You don't ever want to see people die like that." I am fifty years old and have been fortunate enough to have never seen anything like that.
Thank you for sharing that. I couldn’t imagine what this must have been like to see. Nor do I think I want too.
Acting suspicious isn’t a crime in any state
And that Cy Holmes fellow should be embarrassed to even have verbalized something as ridiculous as "Blacks at that point, their background was the use of fire for beneficial purposes." What are we comic book characters?!
I've always believed Louis Taylor most likely did NOT set the Pioneer Hotel Fire. But even if he did, the prosecution's evidence at his 1971 trial was so incredibly weak that I NEVER would have voted to convict had I been on that jury. There was too much REASONABLE DOUBT. And if the cause of the fire is now "undetermined", then Taylor can't legally be guilty of arson.
Damn shame how ego's and racism still exist in this country. 42 years gone for what??
Louis looked 60 years old at 16. It was a very hard experience to have gone through I'm sure.
Disgusting and he shouldn't have had to take that crappy deal. That women looks like the joker. Js.
What a DEMONIC woman , She OBVIOUSLY didn’t care about any evidence , Or making right what was done WRONG to this Man even after ALL THESE YEARS How on earth does she sleep at night
This is so sad for this Mr. Lewis. And for all who passed away.
I would sue the HELL OUTTA THEM!!
Unfortunately he can’t. He took the plea deal .
disgraceful,them putting the blame on this kid
I heard stories that the building is haunted & sometimes you can smell smoke
I've had to frequent the building for voc rehab and a law firm. I'm super sensitive to spiritual stuff anyway, and my senaea go through the roof every time I go into the Pioneer building. Straight up gives me the creeps.
Most likely it's haunted.
I heard the same & as you can see from the video some of the burn damage was never repaired.
damn 40 years...that is a looooooonnnngggg time
The building is not haunted. Tucson is haunted by the building. Although, I am thankful for its existence in one way or another. I am not a fan of the remodel, I am thankful they preserved that part of our history. I get to tell this event to posterity now, show them the building. We can talk about Tucsons ghosts and skeletons and hopefully the next generation can learn from them. Such a tragic event to lie almost forgotten within the cities history. RIP to all those who died and my heart really does go out to all those affected by this. Such a tragic end.
All because u don't want to admit u were wrong?
1:32 About half of the neon sign was burnt out so what was left said Hot Pion.
It's so sad that this had to come down to a "deal". The courts, police officers and city should have to pay for what was done to this poor man! But now they won't because he took the deal! But at least he's a free man, he deserves his freedom!
thats how they shut peoples mouth and case closed.
Things were a lot different in 1970.
Racism at it's finest smh the cops should be charged and jailed they ruined his life😑
Damn no good deed goes unpunished huh? I always thought that was a quirky cliche not reality.
I want to act for him so the world could know about this
It’s so sad because he finally got let out of prison and he ended up being arrested for Armed robbery...So that means he was falsely accused and held for over 40 years and didn’t receive a single dime for it just sad all around
tragic what happened to louis Taylor ,makes me sick , ridiculous
I grew up in rural AZ, people, regardles of race, use fire as a tool. From burning garbage to burning piled up brush.
My uncle knows him they were brothers back then my uncle knows he didn't start the fire.
Thank you for sharing that.
Time and time again.
Locked exits.
No sprinklers.
Ladders don't reach to the top floors.
I wonder why they didn't just hire a security guard instead of locking the fire doors.
He should be free, should have never went cuz the evidence wasn't there, but there's a good chance he actually did it. Why was he there? To crash the party? People generally know each other at these sorts of events, a 16-year-old would have stuck out, if a bartender had served him they would remember I'm sure
There's a good chance he committed arson on a building that shows no evidence of arson?
What is the update on this case
He was released on 04/02/2013, but four years after his release, Taylor was arrested on suspicion of an armed robbery at a hotel at the age of 63. He pleaded guilty to attempted armed robbery in 2017.
😩 " TERRIFYING!... I recall the national news showing lots of deadly fires, throughout the1970s. Just a year after this one, there was an even deadlier hotel fire in Seoul (South Korea). It wasn't until the mid-1980s that more extensive national fire safety measures became more widely-mandated and installed. "
Man they screwed Louis Taylor royally. I'm so glad that this man is somehow taking it all in stride. I hope a well to do person in the private sector sets Mr. Taylor up real nice since we can't expect our government to do so...
TPD officers once tried to accuse me of setting a dumpster fire, nevermind I just got off the bus in front of them.
Is this investigator the same David Smith that is running 4 mayor in Bisbee?
Same guy. IS Mayor, now. Has his own "arson investigation" business. Oh, and City Hall has burned down.
Bisbonian - City Hall burned down? Did the fool also set the pioneer fire? This kind of bull is almost as bad as in my home state of Texas.
Knew his father and he became a victim of circumstance by TPD....
I had no idea this tragedy took place in 1970... I always thought it had been sometime in the mid 60s, judging from the old images and film clips back then... Evidently, improved fire equipment technology, such as the snorkel (first in service in some cities around 1968) hadn't gotten to Tuscon yet..
T U C S O N!
Dude same. I was asking my grandma about it once, and my mom pipes up from the other room “Yeah, I remember at school the next day we…” and I was like “Whaaaa?”
5 books of matches 'so they say' hidden in his shorts.? Also the ladders were able to the reach the 9th floor not the 5th & 6th as stated .
My uncle did not do this just because he was the only the black guy there. This is disturbing.. My grandpa William Taylor his dad served in world war I and world war II this was despicable blaming him for a crime he didn't commit....
My mom works here
do you know if they let people tour this place? for historical/journalism purposes?
The ‘40’s thru the ‘70’s we’re horrible years for fires in big venues…you would think the US would have heeded those warnings and come up with precautions. Naw…too many political connections.
I guess that former fire official has never been to the rural parts of the west! Plenty of rural, weight folk use fire for clearing or refuse disposal!
He was talking about using fire for financial gain, not burning for refuse or garbage disposal . Setting fire in hotels and then robbing the empty rooms of valuables is as old as time. Also once the fire is extinguished they would hire locals to help rebuild the structure. Unfortunately some of the people hired would be the same ones who lit the fire 🔥
Welcome to Arizona.
forreal
His best excuse for being at a hotel at night on a Sunday is he was trying to hustle some liquor at age 16? BS and lies is usually what trips up guilty people.
@wiibaron - Actually, prior to the fire, Taylor was well known to downtown police as a street kid whose M.O. was hustling up freebies. There were several big holiday parties in the hotel that night, so his "best excuse" is a pretty good one.
Cade Os BR??/
Same ol' story. 'Cause he's black. Welcome, to republican-ville!!!
what? and it didnt collapse on its footprint?