Updated: 4 people arrested after an abandoned school burns down in Central Kentucky
Four suspects, two of which are minors, have been accused of burning down an abandoned school in Scott County, according to the Scott County Sheriff’s Office.
Cody Kirk and Camron Speigle, both 23, were each charged with arson (complicity) and burglary for allegedly burning down the old Sadieville School, according to the sheriff’s office. Two minors have also been charged and were being held at the Fayette County Regional Juvenile Detention Center.
The sheriff’s office said tips and an investigation led to the identification of the four suspects. Court documents say the suspects lit a torch on fire and tossed it into a trash bag containing a Christmas tree inside, which eventually spread to the building.
Speigle’s arrest citation said he and the suspects knowingly entered the building despite it being boarded up and shut. Kirk’s arrest citation said he tried to put out the fire but was unsuccessful, and that he didn’t call the fire department because he was scared the fire would be “pinned” on him.
Kirk and Speigle also confessed to the crime during an interview, the sheriff’s office said.
The fire started around 2 a.m. Monday morning, according to the Herald-Leader’s news-reporting partner, WKYT. No one was hurt, but the building was completely destroyed, according to WKYT.
The City of Sadieville Facebook page said the building would have turned 100 years old in 2024.
This story was originally published May 31, 2022 at 7:33 AM.
