Wayland Deputee Jr.’s plan to burgle a Billings, Montana, home may have been well thought out. His plan to set the place on fire to hide his tracks may also have been. The final execution of his plans, however, fell well short of success. The 23-year-old would-be thief, bent on hiding any trace of his visit, died of smoke inhalation in the dining room of the house he’d broken into.

Homeowner Phil Glaspey was on vacation when Deputee made his move. Police believe Deputee forced his way into the home through a back door, loaded up on booty and set two fires to cover his tracks. Shortly after midnight, a neighbour spotted the flames and called the fire department. Firemen discovered Deputee’s body.

The good news is that many of Glaspey’s valuables were left unscathed. Police found some rare coins belonging to Glaspey in Deputee’s shirt pocket and two bags of Glaspey’s “household items” stashed in the back alley.

» Scott Saxon