THROUGH THE FIRE: Exclusive interview with Daniel McAllister, one of two behind East Texas church fires

It's been 10 years since Jason Bourque and Daniel McAllister were arrested for burning down multiple churches in East Texas. 

When the ten churches were burned down in 2010, it was a testament of faith for many church members in the area. 

“We were urged by our pastor to remember that God is forgiving, none of us are perfect," Little Hope member JoNell Wilkerson said. "And maybe we haven't done the horrible things that they did, or he did. But we all need forgiveness.”

Now, it's 2020 and like a story from the Bible: Little Hope Baptist Church, Faith Church in Athens, Lake Athens Baptist Church, Grace Community Church, Tyland Baptist Church, First Church of Christ Scientist, Prairie Creek Fellowship, Russell Memorial United Methodist Church, Dover Baptist, and Clear Spring Missionary Baptist Church were all resurrected and rebuilt. 

“People's faith was so resilient. They bounced right back," James Nickell, Pastor of Little Hope Baptist Church. "These are strong country folks. And they didn't lose any hope.”

In three counties, Jason Bourque faced 10 counts of arson and three counts of attempted arson in three counties.

Bourque and McAllister, after pleading guilty and waiving their rights to a trial nearly a year after the fires, were sentenced to life sentences. Both have since apologized for their actions and begged for forgiveness. 

“A lot of people from the churches, they did forgive him," Felisa Quezada said. "And I think that everybody has room for forgiveness.”

Daniel McAllister is now 32 and is serving his sentence at Hughes Unit in Gatesville. 

Drugs would prove to be the vice that would lead both Bourque and McAllister towards their infamous crime spree. McAllister says the death of his mother, couple with his father's struggle with depression affected him greatly, leading him towards drug use.

"That's how I just push everything away," McAllister said. "Just getting on."

"I think you know, just like any drug has side effects, just depending on the person," Felisa Quezada, a friend of Jason and Daniel, said. "When we're young, we don't really think about how it'll effect our future."

He says he was not involved in the first two fires. A week after the fires, Jason called him while he was high.

"He pointed at an article on the news or newspapers out there, and he said, 'Man I don't know who did that.' And I was like, 'Okay, whatever.' And then he told me that later on that afternoon," McAllister remembered. 

He says he does not remember starting the fires, saying it was all a blur.

"It was just going to fast enough to get everything and then walk," McAllister said. 

He says the fires were no about making a statement against Christianity, and the targets were not picked out specifically.

"Just driving around, and it would be liked, 'There's one,'" McAllister said. 

McAllister says after the last fires on Feb. 8, he decided he was finished with the arsons, knowing they would eventually get caught.

"I knew we were going to get caught. I told him two weeks before we ever got arrested. I said, 'Dude, they're not going to let this go,'" McAllister remembered. "I said, 'I'm done.' [...] He said, 'Yeah, I think, yeah, that's a good idea.'"

Being in prison for almost 10 years has had a profound effect on Daniel McAllister. He says he is trying to better his life each day and grow his faith in God.

"I go on Sundays to the Mormon service. And just been studying their stuff. And then they also have like, open chapel every Sunday morning. So sometimes I go to that," McAllister said. "If I would have stayed out there, I probably wouldn't be 32 right now. I probably would have never made it this far. Just because of doing drugs and other stupid stuff. I'd done.”

As for Jason, Quezada says she is still trying to come to grips with what her friend did.

"He did make a mistake, and he learned the hard way," Quezada said. "God does everything for a reason."

The two got to know each other during school.

"[Jason and I] went to school together. He was just cool to hang out with. We just had really good conversations, which was nice," McAllister remembered. "He was just cool to hang out with. We just had really good conversation, which was nice."

She says depression, perhaps caused by a prescription meant to help him quit smoking, caused Jason's change in attitude. 

 "[You're] like, also starting to wonder like, 'What was going on?'" Quezada said. "He was trying to quit smoking cigarettes, and he was on some medication to quit smoking cigarettes."

"He would talk about stuff that made no sense when he was on that prescription stuff," Daniel McAllister remembered. "And I would tell him, 'Man, you might just want to stop smoking.' 'Yeah, yeah, you might be right.' And then he kept taking it."

Quezada and Bourque continue to write letters to each other. She believes he has changed.

"We talked about spiritual, spirituality. In religion, you know, he wasn't very sure about his religion," Quezada said. "And now we can talk on a more spiritual base."

Quezada beliefs Bourque deserves a second change.

As for McAllister, he says he believes his sentence was too harsh, but he does not believe the two will be able to achieve freedom. 

"I would try [to make things right.] You would try every day," McAllister said. Just try to help them volunteer, cut their grass. They need repairs, help them out. Same thing my dad did with the church we were part of.”

Bourque is eligible for parole in April. McAllister will be eligible next year.