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Wilton man’s arson trial ends, verdict expected next month

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The burned trailer.
This July 28 photo shows the scene at the first arson fire in Wilton. A large vacant mobile home at 9 Sewall Street was destroyed. Three men have pleaded guilty in connection with the fire in Wilton and two for a cabin destroyed by fire in Carthage. A fourth man, D’Kota Rowe, 21 of Wilton, is charged with arson. His trial ended on Friday. A verdict may be decided by Justice William Stokes on May 20.

FARMINGTON – In Franklin County Superior Court on Friday, both sides rested in the jury-waived trial of a Wilton man facing four counts of arson in connection with fires that destroyed a mobile home in Wilton and a cabin in Carthage. Justice William Stokes said he may be ready to announce a verdict in this case on May 20.

D'Kota Rowe
D’Kota Rowe

D’Kota Rowe, 21 of Wilton, is accused of having a role in the fires that occurred on the night of June 27, 2015, after a day of drinking alcoholic beverages and using heroin, according to one of the four men involved, Duane Bailey, 28, of Carver, Mass.

Earlier this month, Bailey pleaded guilty to two counts of arson, along with burglary and theft charges in connection with three convenience store break-ins. Bailey was sentenced on Monday to serve nearly four years of a 12-year sentence and four years of probation.

One of the two other men involved, Devon J. Pease, 23, of Jay, has pleaded guilty for his role in the fires and other burglary and theft crimes. Pease was sentenced on Monday to five years with all but six months suspended and four years of probation. Pease stayed in the car during the Wilton events and was not at the fire in Carthage.

The fourth co-defendant is Einer Bonilla, 22, of Grand Island, Neb.

On Tuesday before his trial on arson charges began, Rowe pleaded guilty to Class B felony criminal conspiracy in connection with the Wilton arson case. Rowe admitted he helped plan to start a fire at the Main Street residence.

That fire didn’t occur. Instead, a double-wide mobile home on Sewall Street in Wilton behind the targeted Main Street residence was burned down and later a cabin in Carthage.

While Rowe admitted to planning the Wilton fire, in his opening statement defense attorney Christopher Berryment asked if the state has proof that his client had actually participated in pouring gasoline on either structure and lighting the fires.

He added the state’s case is relying on the credibility of Bailey’s testimony.

Bailey testified that Rowe had received texts from the Main Street resident while they were drinking during the day on June 27 and said “he was talking trash.” Bailey said he and Rowe were good friends having worked at fairs around the state together and was angry at what the man was texting his friend. The four men picked up a gas can at Pease’s house and went to a gas station to fill it up. The four then went to Wilton, with Rowe at the wheel, he parked his car near the intended target residence.

According to investigators, the plan was to start the fire and then when everyone ran out of residence, they were going to beat up the man who had texted earlier and for whom they had an ongoing dispute.

According to all of the defendants, once the car was parked, Rowe and Pease stayed in the car while Bailey and Bonilla took the gas can to the Main Street residence but couldn’t start the fire because dogs had barked to alert the occupants they were there.

The two men ran up the hill from Main Street to Sewall Street and, according to Bailey’s testimony on Friday, arrived at the vacant mobile home. “I poured the gas, lit a piece of paper then threw it on the gasoline,” Bailey said.

Berryment asked Bailey if he and Bonilla “were upset they couldn’t burn the house (on Main Street) down so they went to the trailer and burned it instead.” Bailey answered, “yes.” Bailey also admitted under questioning by Berryment that it wasn’t Rowe’s idea to burn the mobile home down.

“You did it on your own,” Berryment said to Bailey and he responded,  “yes.”

Bailey also testified that he, Rowe and Bonilla ended up at the cabin in Carthage. Bailey said he poured the gasoline but doesn’t remember who lit it. Bailey affirmed that he had been “nodding off” all evening and couldn’t remember many details due to the drugs and alcohol he had consumed earlier in the day.

On Monday under questioning Bailey said did remember that it was Rowe who, after the fire got started at the cabin, threw a softball-sized rock at the gas can and hit it, presumably providing more fuel to the fire.

The three men stood and watched the fire spread across the front of the cabin, Bailey added.

Berryment noted Bailey’s conflicting statements to Kenneth McMaster of the state’s Fire Marshal’s Office, throughout the investigation and said that Bailey’s mention of Rowe throwing the rock was the first time he and investigators had heard of that occurring. Bailey countered that by saying he had told an inmate at the jail about it and his attorney earlier.

On the question of conflicting versions of his story, Bailey said he’d changed his story at first to investigators because “I was trying to get myself out of trouble.” But, later he said he admitted his role and told the truth.

The defense and state rested on Friday morning with Bailey’s testimony. Both attorneys will issue their closing arguments in the first two weeks of next month and Stokes, who is scheduled to be in Franklin County Superior Court on May 20, said he may have a verdict by then.

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