Church fire suspect murdered his daughter in 1989

SALEM, Ore. - A 53-year-old Salem man accused of bursting into a church and setting fires has a violent past that includes the murder of his 5-year-old daughter back in 1989.

Kam Shing Chan, aka Daniel Chan, faces numerous charges in the incident at the church, including Attempted Aggravated Murder, Attempted Assault in the First Degree, Arson in the First Degree and Reckless Burning.

The incident at the church began Wednesday evening when police say a man threatened a cab driver with a knife and then burst into the Peoples Church, located at 4500 Lancaster Drive, N.E.

According to the pastor at the church, the man was speaking nonsense and carrying what appeared to be gasoline. "He was spreading gas on people, furniture and carpet as he went," said Rev. Sam Miller, who noted that the fires ignited as he spread the liquid.

Miller said there were about 300 people in the church and one of the men quickly tackled the suspect and hauled him out as others beat down the flames.

One of the injured women was identified as Arlene Anderson. She suffered burns on her back and head and was taken to Salem Hospital. Her injuries were not life threatening. The other woman declined to go to the hospital.

As for Chan, during a day-long crime spree in December of 1989, he drowned his 5-year-old daughter in a bathtub, kidnapped a neighbor at knife-point and robbed a store where he had been working for a month. He told psychiatrists he was acting under God's orders.

Chan was found mentally unfit to stand trial, was declared criminally insane and was then committed to the state mental hospital. He was released in 1995 and placed under the watch of the Psychiatric Security Review Board for life. He has been living in the Salem area since then.

Chan is scheduled to appear in Marion County Circuit Court on Friday, Oct. 27.

Anyone with further information about the church fire case is urged to call Detective Mike Myers at (503) 540-8007.

(From KATU & AP reports)