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Show Fair Found Guilty of Arson After three hours of deliberation Tuesday afternoon, after-noon, an eight member jury found Park City residents Anne Clark and Alan Savage guiltv of aggravated arson in connection with a May 19, 1979 fire that destroyed Ms. Clark's Norfolk Avenue home. Judge Peter F. Leary of the Third District Court at Coalville has scheduled sentencing sen-tencing for the pair for April 20. The felony charge carries a maximum jail term of 1-15 years andor a fine not to exceed $10,000. The lengthy trial began March 4. ran three days then adjourned until the following Monday, March 9. However, a juror suffering from chicken chic-ken pox postponed the proceedings throughout the week with arguments finally resuming March 16. Throughout the trial, prosecuting pro-secuting Attorney Terry Christiansen produced witnesses wit-nesses who maintained there was an "accelerant" present in the basement of the home where the fire was thought to have originated. An "accelerant" "accele-rant" is some form of flammable mixture which would serve to spread the flames. Firefighters detected its presence while battling the blaze because they "could move the fire around" with their jets of water. An insurance investigator investi-gator said .he could smell the "accelerant" during post-fire inspections. Defense Attorney Sumner Hatch, representing Ms. .Clark, maintained that there were several containers con-tainers of Coleman fuel in the basement when the fire erupted and suggested they could have been spilled in the firefighting effort which would account for the "accelerant." "acce-lerant." Next by recounting Ms. Clark's and Savage's own accounts taken shortly after the fire, Christiansen placed the pair at the house when the blaze broke out. When Clark took the stand Monday, Mon-day, she recounted in part the story she earlier told. Savage and Clark were camping at Midway when Savage became ill. They decided to drive to the Clark home for medication then return to their campsite. Arriving at the house near 1 a.m., they parked their car on Empire Avenue, the street above Norfolk on which Clark lived. She said she avoided her own street because of construction underway un-derway near her house. She then said she. saw a light in her house which she did not remember leaving on. She also thought she may have seen someone running from the direction of her residence. resi-dence. Inside the house, the pair noticed a basement light was also n. They went down to investigate. After a few minutes in the basement, there was a" flash or an explosion and flames filled the area. They escaped the basement both receiving minor burns and retreated to Savage's Park Meadows home to call the fire department. Throughout her testimony, Clark contended she had no idea how the fire started, adding she at first thought it must have been a natural gas leak near the furnace. In his closing arguments, Mr. Christiansen stressed inconsistencies in Ms. Clark's story as it was retold a number of times. He also maintained it was "improbable" "impro-bable" the pair would have left their campsite to return for the medication. Christiansen Chris-tiansen continued to raise doubts about the pair failing to immediately call the fire department at a neighbor's house waiting instead until they were at Savage's home in Park Meadows. Ms. Clark says she will appeal the jury's decision. |