Dateline: August 12, 2004

Arrest brings 2001 arson case to close

By Roger Estlack, Clarendon Enterprise

A Clarendon man was arrested last week in connection with a 2001 house fire that officials say was arson.

Larry Wilson, age 48, was indicted July 15 and was arrested last Friday, August 6. County Judge Jack Hall set bond at $100,000.

Sheriff Butch Blackburn said the arrest of Wilson closes the three-year-old case.

“It’s been a long investigation, but we finally close this case with this arrest,” he said.

Two other local men have previously been arrested and sentenced in connection with the fire.

Allen Turner, age 26, was arrested July 15, 2003, and sentenced to the Department of Corrections in December, Blackburn said. Two months ago, Jimmy Reese, age 49, also faced an arson charge in the case. He received probation July 1.

The sheriff said Wilson is accused of employing Reese and Turner to burn the old Saye house at the southeast corner of Sixth and Kearney streets in order to get the insurance money.

The fire started the night of February 13, 2003, and resulted in the total loss of the home. Officials suspected arson early on with Fire Chief Delbert Robertson noting that the blaze originated in the middle of the floor of an upstairs room.

The historic home was built at the turn of the 20th century and was purchased by the grandparents of Tommie C. Saye in the 1920s. Five generations of the Saye family lived there during their 60-year ownership of the property. In the 1980s, the house was sold to Clifford Alexander, whose family occupied the home for about 20 years.

At the time of the blaze, the house had been sold to the family of Larry Wilson.

The state fire marshal’s office assisted with the initial investigation of this case, and the Donley County Sheriff’s Office has continued the investigation to the present.