 Defense testimony focused on the theory that Tim Farrar , angry at his father , had set fire to the home . Friends of Tim 's testified that Tim had had a fascination with fire and that he had told friends that he knew how to make bombs . A neighbor testified that he had once caught Tim burning some grass in the neighbor 's yard . A former nanny testified that she had heard Tim speak about wanting his father dead and planning to burn down the family 's house , and had caught him multiple times setting or with the implements to set fires . On cross @-@ examination , she admitted that she had not seen Tim Farrar for years and agreed that she had not reported Tim 's fascination with fire to his parents or the police when he had expressed it to her . 
