WLOS: New information in Mitchell County jail fire

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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WLOSers broke a big story on Wednesday in regards to the 2002 Mitchell County jail fire, a fire that killed 8 people and still stands as the state’s deadliest jail fire. The story made national news at the time. Courtney Brennan had the story about the cause of the fire: it was thought to be accidental, but new information now points to facts that show the fire was deliberately set. Watch the video here.

Here’s the write-up:

New Information in Mitchell Jail Fire 

The state now believes an inmate started the blaze that killed 8 people at the Mitchell County jail in 2002. 

News 13 spoke with a family whose son died in the fire. Haley Thomas was serving out a DUI sentence while working and going to school during the week. His family says they never believed a faulty heater caused the fire like investigators originally said. Now, it appears the state agrees. A motion filed by the Attorney General’s office on Tuesday reveals they believe the fire was part of a conspiracy. 

Seven other people also died in the massive blaze. The state now says inmate Melissa Robinson agreed to “smoke up the jail” in return for drugs and money. The Attorney General’s office alleges that Robinson conspired with inmate Jesse Davis and his wife, Denise, to create a smoke diversion so the two inmates could get out of jail. Court documents say Robinson poured nail polish remover on cardboard boxes in a storage area. The Attorney General’s office says those boxes were placed near a heater and set on fire. 

The Thomas family says local residents told investigators after the fire, that they didn’t think it was an accident. Now, in depositions taken last summer, acquaintances of Robinson say she admitted to starting the fire. In one particular deposition, Robinson alleging told the EMT drivers who took her to the hospital, “Starting the fire was a bad idea.” 

But a decision must still be made on whether the state can pursue criminal charges. Robinson was considered a victim of the fire and received $70,000 as part of a settlement with the county.