GROUP.

♪♪ >> ERIC: NEXT THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6TH, MARKS THE ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRE THAT DESTROYED THE HISTORIC LUTSEN LODGE IN NORTHERN MINNESOTA.

AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION HAS NOT LED TO ANY CHARGES IN THE CASE, THOUGH SUSPICION OF ARSON HAS BEEN LONG ASSOCIATED WITH THE DESTRUCTIVE FIRE.

THE FRONT PAGE OF THE "NORTHSHORE JOURNAL" TODAY CARRIES PART ONE OF A LOOK AT EVENTS ON THE NIGHT OF THE FIRE, SUSPICIONS SURROUNDING THE CAUSE, AND FINANCIAL TROUBLES OF LODGE OWNER BRYCE CAMPBELL.

CAMPBELL HAS BEEN PLACED AT THE SCENE SHORTLY BEFORE THE FIRE BEGAN, BUT HE HAS NOT BEEN NAMED A SUSPECT.

HE ALSO HAS NOT TALKED TO THE MEDIA UNTIL THIS WEEK.

JOE FRIEDRICHS IS THE AUTHOR OF THE SERIES ON THE FIRE IN THE "NORTHSHORE JOURNAL."

THE LONGTIME COOK COUNTY WRITER AND JOURNALIST TALKED WITH BRYCE CAMPBELL ON THE RECORD EARLIER THIS WEEK.

WELCOME BACK TO "ALMANAC," JOE.

WHAT DID YOU LEARN?

>> WELL, I LEARNED THAT HE'S NOW LIVING IN A HOTEL IN FORT FRANCIS, ONTARIO.

HE'S A CANADIAN CITIZEN, RIGHT.

HE WAS HERE WORKING ON A VISA.

AND HE IS LIVING IN THIS PLACE JUST ACROSS THE BORDER FROM INTERNATIONAL ALLS.

HE'S OWNED IT SINCE 2014.

SO IT'S A DIFFERENT BRICE THAN I'D MET BEFORE IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, $30 MILLION IN ASSETS TO TWO RESORTS ON THE NORTH SHORE AND NOW HE'S LIVING IN THIS OTEL IN A MOTEL ROOM IN FORT FRANCIS.

SO I WOULD SAY ACTUALLY IT WAS A PLEASANT CONVERSATION AND MUCH DIFFERENT TONE.

>> Cathy: WE SHOULD -- SOME PEOPLE MIGHT BE SURPRISED THAT THIS IS ALMOST A YEAR.

I MEAN, THIS IS A LONG INVESTIGATION.

ANY IDEA WHY?

>> WELL, IT'S A VERY COMPLEX FIRE.

IT'S EXPENSIVE.

THE CLAIM RIGHT NOW IS AROUND $18 MILLION.

AND SO I THINK THEY WANT TO GET IT IGHT BEFORE THEY RELEASE ANYTHING.

THAT SEEMS TO BE THE READ FROM THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE WHO I'VE COMMUNICATED WITH MANY, MANY TIMES OVER THE PAST YEAR.

THEY CAME UP TO THE NORTH SHORE AT ONE POINT THIS SUMMER, AND ESSENTIALLY EXPLAINED WHY IT'S TAKING SO LONG AND THEY JUST WANT TO BE THOROUGH.

AND THERE'S OTHER ENTITIES ALSO LOOKING INTO IT FROM INSURANCE VECTORS ND BRICE'S HIRED PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS OF HIS OWN.

SO IT'S JUST A LOT OF MOVING PIECES INVOLVED.

>> Cathy: I WAS READING YOUR STUFF.

IT IS SO INTERESTING.

BRYCE SEEMED TO THROW ANOTHER EMPLOY KIND OF UNDER THE BUS IN HIS ACCOUNTING.

WHAT DID YOU MAKE OF THAT?

>> THE EMPLOYEE CERTAINLY FEELS THAT WAY.

A YOUNG MAN NAMED QUENTIN, A 30 EAR OLD GUY ROM OREGON WHO WAS THERE WORKING AT THE RESORT AS A FACILITIES MANAGER AND HIM AND BRYCE HAD A CONFRONTATION AS BRYCE DESCRIBES IT ABOUT PAYROLL.

QUENTIN THOUGHT ESSENTIALLY IT WAS HIS LAST DAY TO THE JOB.

SO HE GRABBED SOME OF HIS PERSONAL POSSESSIONS THAT HE HAD.

ONE OF THOSE HAPPENED TO BE A VENTILATION MASK.

BRYCE REFERS TO IT AS A GAS MASK.

>> Cathy: LIKE A S HE SPIRATOR.

>> YEAH, BUT I WOULDN'T SAY NECESSARILY THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE -- THAT'S THE PERSON.

AS BRYCE HAS BROUGHT IT UP MULTIPLE TIMES IN THAT INSTANCE.

JUST LEADING INVESTIGATORS TO SAY, YOU MIGHT WANT TO TALK TO QUENTIN.

HE HAD THIS MASK AND IT ME SUSPICIOUSOUS.

INVESTIGATORS QUICKLY DROPPED THAT WITHIN A WEEK.

>> Cathy: I WAS ALSO INTERESTED THAT THE SECURITY GUY WHO WAS ON DUTY WHEN THE FIRE STARTED SAID THAT EVIDENTLY BRYCE CAME BACK?

OR THE STORY -- SOMEHOW BRYCE CAME BACK BEFORE THE FIRE STARTED.

CAME BACK TO THE LUTSEN LODGE.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

TYLER IS THE NAME OF THE NIGHT WAYMAN IS THE NAME OF THE PERSON WHO WAS THERE AT THE FRONT DESK.

NEVER SAW BRYCE THAT NIGHT.

INITIALLY HE SAID HE LEFT AT 8:30, WENT BACK TO TWO HARBORS, AND THAT WAS WHERE HE LEARNED OF THE FIRE LATER.

IT EVENTUALLY CAME OUT THAT HE RETURNED TO LUTSEN RESORT AROUND 11:30.

WAS THERE FOR AN UNDISCLOSED AMOUNT OF TIME.

HE CAME IN A BACK DOOR SO THAT TYLER DIDN'T SEE HIM BECAUSE HE WAS GETTING SOME PERSONAL ITEMS.

AND THAT PLACES HIM IN THE BUILDING WITHIN A HALF AN HOUR ESSENTIALLY OF WHEN THE FIRE STARTED.

>> Eric: WHAT DID BRYCE SAY WHEN YOU SKED ABOUT HIS INVOLVEMENT, IF ANY?

>> I ASKED HIM POINT-BLANK, IF HE STARTED THE FIRE, AND HE SAID NO.

>> Eric: THAT WAS THE EXTENT OF IT?

>> HE SAID, WHY WOULD I START A IRE OF MY OWN PROPERTY WHEN I JUST INVESTED $5 MILLION INTO IT.

THEY HAD REDONE -- >> Cathy: ISN'T HE CLOSE TO BLOOD PRESSURES NOW, THOUGH?

>> HE'S GOT FINANCIAL PROBLEMS, DEFINITELY.

DID IN THE LEAD UP TO THE FIRE, HAS BEEN REPORTED BY MANY MEDIA OUTLETS THE FINANCIAL STRUGGLES.

WHEN I MET BRAHIM THIS WEEK IN ONTARIO, I SAID, THIS BLEAK FINANCIAL ICTURE.

WELL, I WOULDN'T SAY IT WAS BLEAK.

SO HE'S STILL NOT QUITE THERE IN TERMS OF THAT THE RESORT HAD TROUBLE.

>> Eric: WHAT'S PART TWO?

>> WHO'S BRAHIM CAMPBELL.

WHO'SHE DOING?

WHO'S THIS PERSON WHO BOUGHT THESE TWO REALLY WELL KNOWN RESORTS, LOST IT, AND NOW HE'S BACK IN CANADA?

WHAT WAS THAT PROCESS?

>> Cathy: HE TALKED TO YOU.

BECAUSE HE'S NOT -- HE'S SUSPICIOUS OF THE MEDIA, BUT HE TALKED TO YOU AND YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN PRETTY TOUGH ON HIM.

>> WELL, THE TROUBLE MAKER UP NORTH IS SORT OF THIS THING THAT GOT BRANDED ON ME WHEN IT CAME TO BRAHIM.

HE'S DEFINITELY VERY WARY OF THE MEDIA.

HE SAID THE REASON HE SPOKE WITH ME, OF ALL THE MEDIA REQUESTS, IF I COULD WIN OVER MY HAR HARSHEST CRITIC AND HAVE THIS CONVERSATION.

>> Eric: GIVE US THE WEBSITE.

>> NORTHSHOREJOURNAL.COM.