Arrests made in church arson investigation
Jul. 12—Two teenagers have been arrested and charged with arson in connection with a June fire that destroyed an historic Raleigh County church.
According to the criminal complaint, community tips helped lead to the arrest of Braxton Allan Miller, 18, of Charleston, and James Dean Elmore, 19, of Beckley, for their alleged part in a fire that burned the Saint Colman Catholic Church to the ground near Shady Spring on June 25.
Miller was charged with arson and conspiracy. Elmore was charged with second degree arson and conspiracy.
In the criminal complaint, West Virginia State Trooper D. Daniels, the investigating officer, said he received an anonymous tip regarding a group of individuals who were partying and drinking at the church the night it burned down.
When Daniels went to interview Elmore and another individual, they identified a total of five people who were drinking beer and partying at the church just before midnight on June 25. They showed the officer multiple videos from that night. The two men then pointed the finger at Miller as the individual who set the fire, according to the complaint
They said Miller lit a set of plastic flowers with a lighter and left the flowers in the middle of the church. They said Miller then placed a church pew on top of the flowers and left, the complaint states.
The church fire was not discovered until the next morning when it had been reduced to ashes.
Daniels states in the complaint that he had made several attempts to speak with Miller but has been unsuccessful.
Miller was booked into the Southern Regional Jail at 9:40 p.m. Friday while Elmore was booked into the same jail at 12:50 p.m. Sunday.
Bond for each of them has been set at $75,000.
