CLAY, W.Va. — A Clay County man is lodged in the Central Regional Jail on charges he set fire to a Clay County church on Sunday.
State Troopers filed those charges Monday against William Stephenson, 78, of Clay. He’s charged with first degree arson for a fire that caused major damage to the old Hartland Church.
Troopers were headed to a home Sunday to follow up on a complaint about a possible arson. On they way, the woman who reported the complaint was contacted by phone. Stephenson’s ex-wife told troopers her husband had left her home with a gas can saying he was “..going to burn the church down.” Troopers said the ex-wife, Peggy Stephenson, also related that William suffered from a number of medical conditions including a diagnoses of schizophrenia. During the conversation with troopers indication’s are Peggy Stephenson became very excited and said she could see William walking back toward her house with smoke coming from the church.
According to the criminal complaint, troopers arrived to find Williams seated on the ground being treated by EMS personnel.
“William was seated on the ground near first responders. This Trooper immediately detained William without incident. During the interaction these Troopers had with William he stated that he had started a fire inside the church and then left the gas can in the flames inside the church,” wrote the investigating trooper in the complaint.
A neighbor also told State Police investigating they had seen Stephenson exit the church just before the fire started.
By now, the fire department had the blaze under control, but there was major damage to the floor and interior. Troopers said they recovered a cigarette lighter from William and he’s lodged in the Central Regional Jail facing a charge of first degree arson. He’s also a convicted sex offender and troopers said he had not registered and was facing charges tied to that failure to register as well.