Men Who Burned High Knob Tower Sentenced
Nicholas Owens and Christopher Hyatt Will Both Spend Time in Prison
From staff reports
On Jan. 20, 2009, Owens pled guilty without the benefit of a plea agreement, to one count of burning buildings owned by the United States , one count of burning buildings within the special territorial jurisdiction of the United States and one count of lying to investigators. Today in District Court, he was sentenced to 60 months of incarceration and 5 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution of $523,851.00.
On May 26, 2008, Hyatt pled guilty to one count of burning buildings within the special territorial jurisdiction of the United States and one count of making false statements to investigators. Today in District Court, he was sentenced to 37 months of incarceration and 3 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution of $523,851.00.
"Whenever a historic structure, like the High Knob Observation Tower, is destroyed by a senseless act of violence, the entire community suffers," explained United States Attorney Julia C. Dudley. "Mr. Owens and Mr. Hyatt have been punished for their activities and my hope is that now the community can come together, move forward and rebuild this beloved landmark."
Owens admitted that he set fire to the High Knob Observation Tower in the early morning hours of Oct. 31, 2007. In addition, both men confessed to setting fire to a restroom located in the Hanging Rock Recreation Area, a facility in Scott County that is located within the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. Both buildings were destroyed as a result of the arson. Owens and Hyatt each admitted to lying to investigators about their involvement in the blazes.
Special Agent Larry Fisher of the U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement and Investigations, the Wise County Sheriff’s Office, the Norton Police Department and the Coeburn Police Department investigated the case.
According to federal authorities, the Coeburn Volunteer Fire Department and the Norton Fire Department provided valuable assistance in the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Randy Ramseyer prosecuted the case for the United States.