By DREW STONE
LEBANON — The blame for the August night flames has been shifted to another.
After three months of deliberation, the grand jury in charge of investigating the Aug. 19, 2005, downtown arson fire was sent home and John E. Middleton, 28, Lebanon, was charged with the crime. Boone County Prosecutor Todd Meyer said a guilty plea hearing has been requested by Middleton and his lawyer, Tom Whitsitt. His case is in Superior Court I.
Middleton was arrested Sept. 19 for a Pet Products Super Store robbery that occurred the same night as the fire.
Meyer said that Middleton’s arrest was in large part thanks to information given by Charles Rowe. Rowe bought an antique shotgun from Middleton, which was stolen from the Bar None Dance Hall one day before the fire. Rowe may receive a $5,000 reward through the Indiana Insurance Agency.
“He provided us with vital information,” Meyer said. “He was just a ‘good Samaritan’ that helped us out.”
Originally, John D. Dixon, 36, Lebanon, was charged with and arrested for starting the $237,000 fire that destroyed the Bar None Dance Hall and damaged the adjacent Eichman Building housing Arni’s Restaurant on the 200 block of West Washington Street. Dixon was released on his own recognizance on Oct. 14; two weeks later Meyer announced the beginning of the grand jury investigation.
The class D felony charge against Delisa Draper, 34, Attica, for aiding a criminal was dropped as well. The charge alleged that Draper helped Dixon hide out at the Lebanon Holiday Inn Express. However, Meyer said she is now being charged with a class A misdemeanor for falsely informing the police. Her information led to Dixon’s arrest. If found guilty, Draper could face up to one year in prison and fines up to $5,000. Her case is in Boone County Superior Court II.
“People simply can’t mislead the police and provide them with false information during their investigations,” Meyer said. “The reason why is plainly evident by the allegations in this case against Draper. It was because of her that Dixon unnecessarily spent two months in jail.”
Because the investigation took place during grand jury proceedings, Meyer said he could not give the exact details that led to Middleton’s arrest or his motives for starting the fire.
Middleton is currently being held in Boone County Jail. His complete list of charges since his original arrest on Sept. 19 are for a class B felony of arson, a class C felony of burglary and a class D felony of theft for the pet store break-in, a class D felony of theft for stealing the shotgun, and a class D felony of theft in an unrelated Wal-Mart theft case. His bond is set at $135,000.
Meyer said that Middleton could face up to 15 years in prison for the arson, followed by a four-year sentence for the pet store burglary and six months for the Wal-Mart theft.
The investigation is active and still ongoing, Meyer said.
Whitsitt, Dixon, his attorney Deborah Smith, Rowe, and Jim Harnish, owner of Bar None Dance Hall, were unavailable for comment. Representatives of Arni’s Restaurant and Pet Products Super Store both declined to comment.
