KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Nearly four years after a fire destroy The Hereford House — a Kansas City iconic landmark — federal prosecutors are preparing to take the case to trial.
Former co-owner Rod Anderson is charged with hiring two men to burn the restaurant to the ground. According to court documents, in September of 2008, Anderson met with the men and gave them a key and security code to get into the Hereford House. On October 19, 2008, prosecutors say the two men — Vincent Pisciotta and Mark Sorrentino — went in after hours and started the fire. Federal prosecutors didn’t charge Anderson until nearly two years later. They said his motive was to collect $2.5 million in insurance money.
On Tuesday, Oct. 9, a federal judge heard pretrial motions where prosecutors said they plan to call up to 50 total witnesses. They have requested permission to keep the identities of two of the witnesses secret until the night before they testify, for their safety. They also plan to introduce more than 600 pieces of evidence. With the amount of witnesses and evidence anticipated, the trial is expected to take several weeks.
The trial is set to begin October 22.
