Arson

A man seeking to have his 2002 arson conviction set aside was in Washington County Circuit Court this week for a post-conviction hearing, even though retrying the case could mean a longer sentence. Donald Lee Edwards Jr., 28, formerly of Hagerstown, was sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2002 after pleading guilty to second-degree arson and two counts of reckless endangerment. He was in court Tuesday seeking to have the plea set aside because it was not freely and voluntarily entered into, his attorney Melissa McDonnell told Judge Daniel P. Dwyer.

WASHINGTON COUNTY -- In an unusual move, the state asked Tuesday that a woman charged with threatening to blow up Washington County Hospital undergo an evaluation to determine if she was competent to stand trial. Pamela Phelps Kimmell, 54, of no fixed address, was in Washington County District Court on two charges of threatening arson, according to court records. She was being held Wednesday at the Washington County Detention Center. Assistant State's Attorney Leon Debes told District Judge Dana Moylan Wright that the state had concerns about Kimmell's competency to stand trial.

The Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office was investigating a Saturday morning fire that was intentionally set to the rear of a house on the 5000 block of Mount Briar Road. The notice of investigation said that an arson threat had been made against the property. The fire was discovered by a resident of the house at 6:30 a.m. Personal property and dresser drawers were set on fire in the backyard, the notice said. Damage was estimated at $250, the notice said. The Washington County Sheriff's Office and Boonsboro Police Department assisted in the investigation, the notice said.

An intentionally set fire caused $50,000 in damages to a vacant, two-story house Wednesday at 16612 National Pike near Hagerstown, the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office said. The fire was set in the attic of the home at about 5:30 p.m., according to a fire marshal's office news release. It took 55 firefighters from Maugansville, Hagerstown, Williamsport, Halfway, Longmeadow, Clear Spring, Washington County Special Operations and Greencastle, Pa., about 45 minutes to get the fire under control, the fire marshal's office said.

A man charged with attempted murder and arson in connection with a fire at his house was acquitted of all counts this week in Washington County Circuit Court. Karl McNutt, 47, of 817 Virginia Ave., had been charged with attempted second-degree murder, but the jury in Monday's trial did not get to consider that count, Assistant Public Defender Carl Creeden said Thursday. The charge was dismissed by Judge M. Kenneth Long Jr. on a motion by the state, he said. Long also granted defense motions for judgment of acquittal on first-degree assault and second-degree malicious burning charges, court records said.

The bail for a Hagerstown man accused of trying to set fire to a home in Big Pool by setting a gas can in front of an open oven remained at $125,000 Monday after a bond review hearing before Washington County District Judge Mark D. Thomas. Temal David Stevenson, 30, of 122 Manor Drive, Apt. 102, is charged by the Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal with first- and second-degree attempted arson in the May 2 incident at 11212 Gehr Road, according to the application for statement of charges.

Investigators believe arson was the cause of a Thursday afternoon fire that gutted a vacant house near Hancock, according to the Maryland Office of the State Fire Marshal. The 1:52 p.m. fire caused about $50,000 in damage to the two-story home at 13501 Locher Road, southwest of Hancock, a news release from the fire marshal's office said. Investigators ruled out accidental causes because the house was vacant, Deputy State Fire Marshal Ed Ernst said Friday. “We know the rail trail is commonly used during the day, so we're looking for anybody with information that saw anybody in the house, saw anybody around the house,” Ernst said.

SOUTH MOUNTAIN, Pa. -- Authorities are considering a house fire in a rural part of Franklin County on Tuesday to be arson. Pennsylvania State Police said they are looking for whomever set a vacant house on fire in the 12000 block of Loop Road. A house built in November for the "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" television show is nearby. A state police fire marshal said this week that the vacant house had no electric service. The fire started about 10 p.m. Anyone with information about the fire may call Pennsylvania State Police at 717-249-2121.

An 18-year-old Clear Spring woman pleaded not criminally responsible Thursday to charges she set fire to a historic Williamsport building in August 2006. Read the full story in Friday's Herald-Mail newspapers.

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - A borough man was charged with arson and aggravated assault after a fire at his home Monday afternoon, Chambersburg police said. James L. Gipe Sr., 42, of 101 Eisenhower Drive, also was charged with causing or risking a catastrophe and recklessly endangering another person, police said. He was arraigned before District Justice Larry Meminger and jailed in Franklin County Prison. Gipe was on probation at the time of his arrest, police said. Police said they went to Gipe's home after receiving a report of a domestic dispute.