The Lovers That Burned Down 77 Houses - What It Was Like

Summary

Podcast Title: What It Was Like
Host: Julian Morgans
Episode: The Lovers That Burned Down 77 Houses
Release Date: June 6, 2025

Introduction

In this gripping episode of What It Was Like, host Julian Morgans delves into the harrowing true story of Charlie Smith and Tonya Bundik, a couple whose tumultuous relationship spiraled into a series of relentless arsons across Accomac County, Virginia. Through an intimate conversation with Charlie, Morgans aims to uncover the psychological and emotional factors that drove this couple to set fire to nearly 80 abandoned structures.

Setting the Scene: Accomac County, Virginia

Julian Morgans begins by painting a vivid picture of Accomac County, a once-thriving rural area now marred by economic decline and countless abandoned farmhouses. “It's like this little finger of farmland protruding from the Atlantic coast... dotted with hundreds, probably thousands, of abandoned farmhouses,” Morgans describes (06:15).

In 2012, the county became the epicenter of a mysterious arson spree. Starting on November 12th, seven fires erupted within a single day, signaling the onset of what would become a five-month-long nightmare. Over this period, almost 80 fires were deliberately ignited, targeting mostly empty buildings but also including a billboard and a pile of tires. The motive remained elusive, rendering the community terrified and rife with conspiracy theories.

The Arson Spree: Fear and Speculation

As the fires continued, the community's anxiety grew. Local Facebook groups became hotbeds for speculation, with theories ranging from government drone interventions to apocalyptic religious prophecies. “There was at least one vigilante group set up to keep watch on abandoned houses that might become targets. They called themselves the East Shore Arsonist Hunters, but they never caught anyone,” Morgans explains (10:00).

Despite increased police presence and community vigilance, the arsonist remained at large until a breakthrough occurred when Charlie Smith and Tonya Bundik were apprehended. Unlike typical suspects, these were well-known, seemingly ordinary members of the community, adding to the perplexity of the case.

The Arrest: Unmasking the Arsonists

Charlie Smith, an owner of an auto paint shop, and his partner Tonya Bundik, who ran a clothing store from the same building, were eventually caught setting fire to a house under police surveillance. Morgans recounts the moment of their arrest, highlighting the unexpected nature of apprehending a seemingly normal couple: “They didn't arrest some deranged pyromaniac. It was two people everyone knew,” he notes (29:18).

The Relationship: From Love to Destruction

To understand the transformation from a loving relationship to criminal arson, Morgans reaches out to Charlie Smith, who shares his side of the story. Charlie, with a troubled past marked by arrests and substance abuse, claims that his relationship with Tonya was initially a source of hope and stability. “I always wanted to fall in love since I was little... being part of a family was just the biggest goal in life,” Charlie reflects (10:12).

However, underlying tensions began to surface. Tonya insisted on keeping their relationship hidden, leading to jealousy and resentment. Charlie admits to suffering from erectile dysfunction, which Tonya took personally, further straining their bond. “I just got to the point that I wouldn't even speak. I would go days without speaking. So, which I think she really hated that,” he confesses (11:14).

Transition to Arson: A Dark Descent

The turning point came when Tonya, grappling with her own struggles—including caring for a son with learning difficulties—started proposing nightly drives as a means to escape their domestic pressures. It was during one of these drives that Tonya suggested setting fire to a house: “We had to be riding around... and out of the blue she stopped the car and told me to get out and burn this house down,” Charlie recounts (12:17).

Initially skeptical, Charlie complied, only to witness Tonya genuinely ignite the residence. This act of arson, seemingly spontaneous, marked the beginning of their criminal collaboration. “She was like, how could we get to almost 80 houses? I really wanted to find out,” Morgans muses, highlighting the bewilderment both he and Charlie felt about their actions (25:54).

Charlie's Confession: Reluctant Participant

Throughout the interview, Charlie expresses deep regret and self-blame for his involvement. He portrays himself as a man who was manipulated by Tonya, believing he could help her overcome whatever demons she was battling. “I thought maybe I could help her get away from that. And I don't know, I was just an idiot,” he admits (25:24).

Charlie reveals that their arson activities became a routine, with Tonya often initiating the destruction of abandoned properties. Despite the growing frequency of their actions, Charlie remained uneasy, fearing unintended consequences. “I was afraid she was going to end up killing somebody,” he confesses (16:52).

The Capture: Inevitable Justice

As the arson spree intensified, so did the authorities' efforts to capture the culprits. State troopers increased their presence, making it increasingly difficult for the couple to find undetected targets. Ultimately, they were caught on a hunting camera while setting fire to a house that was under surveillance. “They thought it was a woman because of the way we dressed... But it was actually me,” Charlie explains (29:31).

The arrest occurred on April Fool's Day 2013, culminating in Charlie being handed a 15-year prison sentence. Surprisingly, Charlie felt a sense of relief upon sentencing, believing that his actions had finally ended a destructive cycle. “I feel ashamed of what I've done... Hopefully, somebody will see my story and maybe they'll keep them from doing something stupid like I done,” he shares (35:08).

Aftermath and Reflection: Lessons Learned

Post-incarceration, Charlie reflects on his actions with profound remorse. He acknowledges his failure to extricate himself from the toxic relationship and emphasizes the importance of personal accountability. “You need to think for yourself... if you're thinking about committing a crime, don't do it. It ain't worth it,” Charlie urges (38:15).

Morgans concludes the episode by recommending Monica Hess's book "American Fire, Love, Arson, and Life in a Vanishing Land," which provides a comprehensive account of the case. He praises Charlie for his honesty and introspection, noting that unlike many criminals who deflect blame, Charlie takes full responsibility for his actions.

Key Quotes

“We were going to burn a house down. But then it turned out to be a pretty normal thing on her burning something down.” — Charlie Smith (22:29)
“If you're letting someone else lead your life basically like I did, I'm telling you now, it's not worth it.” — Charlie Smith (38:15)
“I find that kind of endearing. And that actually takes me to Charlie's motivation for doing this whole thing.” — Julian Morgans (35:48)

Conclusion

This episode of What It Was Like offers a poignant exploration of how love and personal turmoil can lead individuals down a path of destruction and crime. Through Charlie Smith's candid revelations, listeners gain insight into the complexities of human relationships and the devastating consequences of unchecked emotional turmoil. Morgans successfully humanizes a story of tragedy, inviting reflection on the factors that can drive ordinary people to commit extraordinary crimes.

Find Us On:

TikTok: @whatitwaslikepodcast
YouTube: @whatitwaslikepodcast
Instagram: @whatitwaslikepodcast
Hosted by Julian Morgans: Instagram

Produced by: Rachel Tuffery
Edited and Mixed by: Jimmy Saunders
Cover Art by: Naomi Lee Beveridge
Production Company: Superreal

Transcript

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Julian Morgans (1:56)

Hey listeners, this week I've been sick. You can probably hear it in my voice. So we won't have a new episode for you this week and we won't have a bonus episode for subscribers this week. But we are going to bring you this absolute classic, one of my favorite all time episodes of what it was like from 2022. It's this one about a couple of arsonists who fall in love and then ultimately get in a lot of trouble. I hope you enjoy it. Hey, I'm Julian Morgans and you're listening to what It Was like, the show that asks people who have lived through big dramatic events what it Was like. Today's story takes us to Accomac county in rural Virginia. I want you to imagine this thin peninsula of land Protruding from the Atlantic coast. It's like this little finger of farmland with the state of Maryland to the north, Virginia beaches down the south, and then there's water on both sides and then there's just this one highway down the middle and there's lots of abandoned houses. The area is full of abandoned houses because Accomac used to be the richest rural county in the US but now it's poor. So it's dotted with hundreds, probably thousands of abandoned farmhouses. And our story takes place in 2012, 10 years ago when these farmhouses started burning down. It started on November 12th when a total of seven fires were reported in a 24 hour period. And then it didn't stop. Over the next five months, there were almost 80 fires deliberately lit across the county. Most of them were empty buildings, but there was also a billboard, there was a pile of tyres. Now, it was a really weird crime. It was a spooky, seemingly random, senseless crime because none of these things were ensured. Setting fire to them didn't make anyone richer. And in almost all of the cases there was no one home. So like there was no one killed or injured. So there was no clear revenge motive. It was just an arson spree without a purpose. And the community was kind of spooked. If you hunt around Facebook, you can still find a few community groups from this period. They were set up by locals, like terrified locals who wanted to discuss what was happening. And it was basically people talking about various conspiracy theories. Lots of people thought the government was setting fire to the houses from drones. A few people saw a kind of religious end of days element to it. There was at least one vigilante group set up to keep watch on abandoned houses that might become targets. They called themselves the East Shore Arsonist Hunters, but they never caught anyone. And every week there'd be a few new fires and no trace of a suspect. Until finally the police made an arrest. And they didn't arrest some deranged pyromaniac. Like it wasn't just some crazy individual. They actually, they arrested a well known local couple, like just a couple that everyone knew. This was Charlie Smith, who had an auto paint shop, and his partner Tonya Bundik, who ran a clothing store out of the same building. And the story that emerged was that these two were kind of having relationship problems and serial arson was just their way of letting off steam. They'd go driving at night and usually Tonya would drive and Charlie would sit in the passenger seat and Tonya would find a target and she'd tell Charlie, look, see that house over there? Let's burn it. And Charlie would leap out of the car and set the place on fire, and. And then they'd drive off. And that was just. That was just their thing. Now, I heard this story. I heard this story a few years ago, and I just. I've always wanted to know more like. Like, obviously it's a crazy crime, but. But how do you get to that point where you've graduated from arguments, like just relationship arguments, to just burning down houses? Like, I feel like even if I did burn down a house, like, even if I was just in some failing, terrible relationship, and, you know, we'd burn down a house to let off some steam, I feel like I'd immediately regret it. I'd be like, oh, my God, the long arm of the law is going to get us. I'm terrified. So then how the hell do you end up doing it again? How the hell do you end up doing another one and another one and another one? And then how do you get to almost 80 houses? And I just really wanted to find out. So I contacted Charlie, and thanks to the Virginia Department of Corrections, you can call prisoners. If you're a fan of the show, you'll remember that I actually spoke to the guy who murdered Michael Jordan's dad. And this was a similar deal. I called him up at the prison. Same sort of principle. So slowly, maybe over, like the last year, Charlie and I have become friends. And he's agreed to tell me his story, like, the whole story, from how he and Tonya met to how they fell in love to how they started burning down houses. And to be clear, I contacted Tonya too, and I asked for her side of the story, but she refused. So we're only hearing from Charlie, and I'm just highlighting that because, let's be honest, almost no one in the world gives an objective evaluation of their ex partner. Especially when you both went to jail.