Former prosecutor Dow Yoder might have finally burned himself after he allegedly set fire to the Yana Club of Mississippi and a dumpster at the Pig and Pint in the Fondren last night. Yoder has been arrested several times since 2020 as he continues his downward spiral to rock bottom.
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| Credit: Laurel Leader-Call |
Capitol Police charged Yoder with first degree arson (Yana) and third degree arson (P&P). He is currently in custody.
Yoder was once a Madison County Assistant District Attorney. He was terminated in 2014. He ran for Court of Appeals but lost in 2016. He served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney from 2009 to 2011.
Yoder has had his share of problems over the last few years. The Laurel Leader-Call reported in July 2024:
George “Dow” Yoder III, 52, was found lying on the side of the road near Bogue Homa Lake when Deputy Andrew Yates of the Jones County Sheriff’s Department responded to the call just before 5:30 a.m. Sunday. A methamphetamine pipe was found in his pocket, and he was charged with possession of paraphernalia and for having a justice court warrant for his arrest. He made an appearance in Jones County Court on Wednesday and was ordered by Judge Wayne Thompson to serve five months in jail or get accepted into an inpatient drug-rehabilitation program. Rest of article.
Yoder was also arrested in 2021 for burglary. The outcome of the case is unknown. Yoder was linked to another fire in 2023.
The Mississippi Bar suspended the attorney for three years in 2022. Yoder has not applied for reinstatement.





41 comments:
What in the world? Why?
Drugs are bad, mmmkay.
Dow can’t stay sober so he’s gonna burn the ship so nobody else can either. Textbook addict behavior!
He was always an a-hole to work with on cases but I don’t wish addiction, or the problems that come with it, on anyone.
Poor man needs help.
No. needs jail now. He's been ordered to treatment before. You can put him in drug court BUT if he does not want to recover, you can't really do much. Sometimes jail protects you from yourself.
Don't put anything in your mouth or vein that will steal your brain. I had a beautiful petite girl friend who got hooked on drugs. One night she took out a chef butcher knife while I was asleep and cut me severely. After she refused drug treatment, I got her out of my life. Sad story. Drugs kill. Avoid them like the plague!
Poor guy was cold and trying to keep warm
He’s drunk
Where is his family? Why don’t they get him help? Do they even care about him?
Speed kills!!! I had a good friend, deep down one of the best people I’ve ever known. Lost his wife and three children, a very good business, and his life over crystal meth. Played a guitar like I wish I could. Repeated rehab attempts failed. Much rather have seen him in jail than dead.
I knew Dow when we were kids. He was smart and funny as hell. It's heartbreaking to see what drugs have done to him. He's had so many chances to recover and turn his life around, but he just keeps digging the hole deeper. Maybe serious jail time is what he needs. What a sad waste of potential.
Also, why is WAPT reporting a totally different person as being under arrest for that fire? Were they arsoning together?
Make it make sense. Even if he hadn't been caught and arrested, what did he gain by this?
George McDowell Yoder, III.
Let me guess, your butcher knife swinging girl friend claimed she was the victim. I have never met a woman who didn't play the victim card.
Reply to February 27, 2026 at 11:52 AM
She said she couldn't remember that night. Took 111 stiches to close all the wounds. I didn't press charges because I was in love.
I can't bear to know how she ended up.
"Where is his family? Why don’t they get him help? Do they even care about him?"
You need to run, not walk, to Al-Anon.
Of they cut him off as he went downwards. If someone is on that self destructive path and does not want to get out of it, you have to shut him out of your life as he will wreck yours too.
Apparently they don’t care about him g
DOWE: "I can quit meth anytime that I want; I just don't want to quit right now."
"When you take the devil into your mouths, you are doomed!
For he is lying there in wait for you inside that bottle of whiskey, waiting for you to take him into your mouth where he can do his devil's work.
Liquor is the most foul, evil thing in this here world!
It destroyed good men like myself.
It'll destroy you, too.
Most, if not damn real all, crazy folk know right from wrong.
Thank you. The version of the story I saw just listed George McDowell, no "Yoder" in sight.
10:48am
I've always had active radar for crazies and have seen a knife swinging petite woman before, she was a hot blooded latina psychopath who stabbed one of my roommate's bed to ribbons, then dragged his clothes outside and burned them. Four of us made that roommate 86 that witch (his live-in g.f. at the time) before she stabbed one of us or burned the house down that we rented.
Your knife weilding g.f. was likely already psycho without drugs, which usually amplify an existing condition.
So, AFTER she'd already stabbed the bed to ribbons, and had ALREADY burned his clothes, your roommate had to be PERSUADED to ditch the witch?
I presume the guy went on to have a very sad and troubled life. Or, was that his come-to-Jesus moment, after which he suddenly became astute?
Some commenter here don't understand that you can lead an addict to rehab but you can't force them to get clean.
Cut your losses is sometimes the sad choice family and friends are forced to make.
If they would have actually investigated and then arrested him after he smashed out my doors and windows to hang out in my house next door a few weeks ago, then this would have never happened.
I'm in recovery--boundaries are extremely important, otherwise you enable the addict or alcoholic. I'm SURE his family has tried to help him, but at some point people have to help themselves. That is a common misconception unless you've experienced addiction or an addict first hand.
What he needs is a good old fashioned ass whipping.
I guess The Yana Club didn't cure him.
He thought that The Yana Club was a bar and they wouldn't serve him.
Would he even feel it?
Crack doesn’t smoke itself.
Check out his various Facebook pages. He has some fantastic cracked out posts.
He desperately need help and never got help. I’m guessing his family hasn’t help him and washed there hands of him
12:28 for today's win - and in a real big way!
Sometimes the dow is up and sometimes it's down.
After reading about all you guys’ knife wielding girlfriends I want to apologize to my ex-wife and all my ex-girlfriends for everything I ever said about you. You were all keepers.
Quit making excuses for him. The first time he used meth he committed a felony, and he wasn’t an addict then.
There is no cure for an addict no matter what you are addicted to. Yana Club helps so many live min by min to keep the DEVIL out. The person has to be ready I know I lost my 30 yr old child, drugs had taken over his body Devil set in and he took his life. No matter how much help you offer, their mind is so fkd up from drugs. Best thing he believed in his Higher Power, God, and was ready to go home! Hope all you ranting never have a family member with the curse, but you know what a lot of you do and won’t admit it!!! Shame on you!
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