Patrick Ryan Thompson, [left], has been arrested on murder charges for allegedly starting a house fire in May that killed his 12-year-old stepsister, Paige Exline, and her 16-year-old cousin Shakiah Cockerham [right]

Authorities in Iowa have arrested a man on murder charges in connection to a May house fire that killed the suspect’s 12-year-old stepsister and her cousin amid a sexual abuse investigation involving other male family members.
The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office said in a news conference Wednesday that 26-year-old Patrick Ryan Thompson is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder and one count of arson.
Investigators had previously determined that arson caused the May 15 blaze in Guthrie Center that took the lives of 12-year-old Melanie ‘Paige’ Exline and 16-year-old Shakiah Cockerham.
The house fire also left their uncle, 54-year-old William Long III, with severe burns on his upper body. The girls’ grandmother, Shirley Exline, 74, suffered minor injuries in the blaze.

This house on Main Street in Guthrie Center, Iowa, belonging to Paige’s grandmother became engulfed in flames on May 15 after being set on fire, allegedly set by Patrick ThompsonShirley Exline believes her grand daughter was killed to stop her from testifying in the sex abuse cases

James Exline was also arrested on Wednesday by the Green County Sheriff’s Office, charged with two counts of sexual abuse for allegedly molesting his own daughter, Melanie Paige Exline.
Noah Exline is on record as having admitted to seven counts of sex abuse involving his younger sister, Paige.
At 12.27 am on May 15, the Guthrie Center Fire Department responded to a call about a house fire. By the time firefighters arrived on the scene, the residence owned by Shirley Exline was completely engulfed in  blaze that took firefighters 15 hours to put out.
Speaking to the Des Moines Register a couple of days after the fire, Shirley recounted how her two granddaughters, Shakiah and Paige, were clinging to her as they tried to escape the burning home before an explosion sent the grandmother flying into the yard.

Shirley had been raising Shakiah from infancy and had been named Paige’s guardian in March. She also has been caring for her middle-aged son, William Long, who has a brain tumor.
She was in the process of trying to gain full custody of Paige and was due in family court for a hearing set for four days after the fire.
Before the fire, 19-year-old Noah Exline, of Jefferson, had been charged with seven counts of felony sex abuse against Paige, his sister.
In April Noah admitted to sexually abusing his sister while she lived with him and their father, James Exline.
Noah Exline is Thompson’s stepbrother and roommate .The 19-year-old is currently out of jail pending his trial.

A news report from Raccoon Valley Radio dated April 7 stated that Paige Exline claimed her brother started molesting her when she was just nine years old.
Officials investigating the arson and double homicide in Guthrie Center have not commented on a possible link between this case and the sexual abuse case.
But Shirley Exline told The Register in May she believes that whoever started the fire did so to prevent Paige from testifying in court about sex abuse in their family.
James Exline, the deceased girl’s father, is a registered sex offender, convicted of sex abuse and lascivious acts against two girls in 2009.