Today, Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich announced the conclusion of the arson case that caused more than $11 million in damage to the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge. The fire not only damaged the bridge but also disrupted commuting for months and impacted the local economy.

Many rumors circulated about who set the Nov. 1 fire, why they set it, and how it started. The investigation found that Terry Stiles, 39, of Arlington Heights, purposely set debris and brush under the bridge on fire using a lighter. Stiles eventually admitted to setting the fire and said he had been setting fires his whole life.

Stiles pleaded guilty to aggravated arson and arson for setting the fire. He was sentenced to nine to thirteen and a half years in prison, followed by five years of post-release control.

“This case was solved by the exhaustive work of Cincinnati Fire Department fire investigators and collaborative work with our office,” said Hamilton County Prosecutor Connie Pillich. “Stiles had no regard for the community and, quite frankly, is lucky nobody was killed. He deserves every day of his sentence.”

All four suspects connected to the case have been convicted and sentenced. The bridge spans the Ohio River, connecting Ohio and Kentucky, and is a key commuting route for the region.

Stiles, Stumpf, and Hall, on Halloween night, drove around looking for scooters—a scam in which they intended to steal scooters, replace the batteries, and sell them. They were doing this at Sawyer Point when, early the morning of Nov. 1, Stiles and Stumpf wandered over to the 1000 Hands Playground. Stiles gathered debris and used a lighter to ignite it. It didn’t immediately catch, and Stiles fanned it out before the trio drove away.

Nearby cameras show the fire ignited and grew over the next seven minutes before the playground caught fire and the flames spread to the bridge.

It took several months, but eventually Stiles confessed. Stiles, after a co-defendant first confessed, said: “I did it.” Stiles spent the next 15 minutes confessing. He also admitted to starting fires for years.

“Fire Investigators did such a wonderful job with the interview of Stiles, that at the conclusion of the confession, Stiles told the fire Investigators he loved them and thanked them for keeping Cincinnati safe from criminals,” Pillich said. “Stiles did not recognize the irony in his statement.”