A south Alabama dentist will spend years behind bars after investigators said he intentionally set fire to his own practice in an attempt to collect insurance money and cover mounting debts.
Attorney General Steve Marshall announced that Douglas Patrick O’Connor was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree arson and first-degree insurance fraud. Circuit Judge Jack B. Weaver of Conecuh County imposed the sentence of 15 years with three years to serve on the two felony counts. O’Connor pleaded guilty Feb. 3, 2026.
Surveillance video from neighboring businesses captured O’Connor’s actions the night of March 28, 2025. The footage showed him arriving at his closed dental office late on a Friday evening and entering and exiting the building multiple times. At about 9:48 p.m., he stood in the back doorway, struck a match and threw it inside, triggering an explosion within seconds…