Preliminary hearing postponed in Stewart case

Friday, September 25, 2009

Vernon County Prosecutor Lynn Ewing III and the attorney for Charles E. Stewart, Eric Landoll, agreed to continue the pre-trial hearing on the charges against him for two weeks until Oct. 8. Stewart, 18, of Schell City, is charged with second degree arson in the July 4 fire which began in an unoccupied dwelling and spread to a storage building to the west owned by the Schell City Methodist Church.

Court documents allege that he "knowingly damaged an inhabitable structure consisting of a house owned by Sandra Jean Hayes ... at Second Street, East of Maple Street, in Schell City," and "a building consisting of a church storage building owned by the Schell City Methodist Church" by starting a fire; and that a person died as a result.

Stewart admitted saying he was going to start a fire, being in the area 15 to 20 minutes prior to the discovery of the fire, shooting a Roman candle in the direction of the structure that caught fire and seeing its projectile strike the structure prior to the fire.

He also faces charges of knowingly burning in connection with a June 20 incident.

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