Woman charged in fire that killed nearly 30K chickens

PIKE COUNTY, Ala. (WSFA) - An Illinois woman has been charged in connection with a June fire that destroyed four chicken houses in Pike County.

Tu Thi Do, 62, of Chicago, who owned the chicken houses, is charged with four counts of arson, according to Pike County Investigator Lt. Sam Mallory.

Investigators say Do’s motive in the arson was to cash in on a $700,000 insurance policy.

The fire happened on June 2 in the Henderson Community, located off Pike County Road 2239. Between 25,000 and 28,000 chickens were killed in the fire.

Do owned the houses, but Wayne Farms owned the chickens that were inside.

Wayne Farms managed to collect the surviving birds that had scattered in the woods after the fire.

Do was taken to the Pike County Jail but has since been released on a $40,000 bond.

Do’s attorney, Troy Teague of Montgomery, said there are two sides to this story and Do looks forward to having her day in court.

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