Man Gets 4 Years For Church Fire

Sun., May 28, 2000

From Staff

The man who started the blaze that gutted St. Joseph’s Catholic Church has been sentenced to four years in prison and ordered to pay the church $4.36million in damages.

Yakima County Superior Judge James F. Lust ordered the exceptional sentence Friday for Raymond Arthur Fenn, 29, who would have faced a 90-day jail sentence under state sentencing guidelines.

The damage award was the largest restitution order in county history, said prosecutors, who had urged a five-year prison term.

Fenn, 29, pleaded guilty to first-degree reckless burning in the July 30 blaze. Prosecutors say he wandered into the church and accidentally started the fire while using a cigarette lighter or a match to illuminate a closet filled with priests’ robes.

The blaze spread quickly through the 95-year-old building and burned for hours. Its stone walls are all that remain of the landmark building.

County Prosecutor Jeff Sullivan said the restitution order doesn’t mean Fenn - a transient at the time of the fire - will pay millions to the church. But if Fenn wins the lottery or cuts a movie deal, the church will be first in line for the money.

Fenn will be asked to make payments when he leaves prison. “It will be a few hundred dollars for the rebuilding fund,” Sullivan said.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.