Arson Suspect Found Guilty
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Timothy Grevenstuk was found guilty of all three charges against him Wednesday evening in Kosciusko Circuit Court.
The jury deliberated for 2-1/2 hours before returning the guilty verdicts. Grevenstuk's lawyer said they will appeal the convictions.
The decision came after Grevenstuk himself testified in the trial, saying he did not start the fire that destroyed the Leesburg Grace Brethren Church July 22, 1997.
Grevenstuk testified that he was in his home the night of the fire and was never near the church, less than two blocks from his home. He also said that the witnesses who said he threatened them were lying.
The jury heard testimony from Grevenstuk's ex-girlfriend and two of her friends that he told them he was going to do something that would put him on TV and in newspaper headlines. The warnings came only a week before the church fire.
Grevenstuk said in his defense that he was telling his girlfriend that he would show her what kind of person he could be and would do something to show he was a good person.
He denied on the witness stand that he admitted to a girl that he set the fire and he denied threatening her with a gun if she told police. He also denied stealing gasoline from neighborhood cars in the hours before the fire. An expert witness testified Tuesday that the fire was spread with gasoline as an accelerant.
Grevenstuk faces up to 50 years in prison for the convictions. The charge of arson causing bodily injury is a Class A felony, bringing a non-suspendible prison term of 20-50 years. The charges of burglary of the church, a Class C felony, and theft of gasoline, a Class D felony, also mandate prison time.
But Kosciusko County Prosecutor David Kolbe said the sentences will be served concurrently, or at the same time, since the charges all stem from the same incident.
"I'm glad it's over," Kolbe said after the verdicts. "I hope the church can feel like they have some closure."
Grevenstuk, 17, is scheduled to be sentenced July 16 at 1 p.m.
When Judge Rex Reed read the first guilty verdict to the arson charge, Grevenstuk's sister ran out of the courtroom in tears. His father, convicted arsonist Michael Grevenstuk, sat silently through the event.
Grevenstuk squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. As Reed continued to pronounced the guilty verdicts, Grevenstuk started to sob loudly, breaking into audible gasps at times and resting his head on the table in front of him as he cried, rocking his head back and forth.
At one point, he looked over to reporters and shook his head back and forth with tears in his eyes, mouthing the word, "No."
Defense lawyer Arvil Howe asked the judge to poll the jurors and as they each agreed they voted guilty, Kolbe silently gave a thumbs-up sign to investigators in the audience.
When the jury rose to leave the courtroom, Grevenstuk turned to his father in the audience behind him and said quietly, "They f----d me, man, f----d me big time."
Grevenstuk will be held in Kosciusko County Jail without bond until his hearing. He is already in custody, serving sentences on two other felony convictions of theft and auto theft.
As a jailer came to lead him away, Grevenstuk hugged his father tightly and said to his mother, "They f----d me." She replied, "Watch your mouth."
Then as Grevenstuk walked away, she said, "'Bye, Tim, I love you."
He answered, "I love you too, Mom."
Both of Timothy's parents testified during the trial attempting to establish an alibi for Tim. His mother, Sheila, said he was home watching TV the night of the fire, and his father also said he didn't think Tim left the family home.
In his closing arguments, Kolbe instructed jurors not to judge Grevenstuk because of the "valueless" environment he was raised in. Although both his parents were convicted of burning down their home in Milford, Grevenstuk was innocent until proven guilty, Kolbe said.
Howe questioned the way investigators handled the case against Grevenstuk and pointed out that there was no physical evidence like fingerprints or footprints that incriminated Grevenstuk. [[In-content Ad]]
Timothy Grevenstuk was found guilty of all three charges against him Wednesday evening in Kosciusko Circuit Court.
The jury deliberated for 2-1/2 hours before returning the guilty verdicts. Grevenstuk's lawyer said they will appeal the convictions.
The decision came after Grevenstuk himself testified in the trial, saying he did not start the fire that destroyed the Leesburg Grace Brethren Church July 22, 1997.
Grevenstuk testified that he was in his home the night of the fire and was never near the church, less than two blocks from his home. He also said that the witnesses who said he threatened them were lying.
The jury heard testimony from Grevenstuk's ex-girlfriend and two of her friends that he told them he was going to do something that would put him on TV and in newspaper headlines. The warnings came only a week before the church fire.
Grevenstuk said in his defense that he was telling his girlfriend that he would show her what kind of person he could be and would do something to show he was a good person.
He denied on the witness stand that he admitted to a girl that he set the fire and he denied threatening her with a gun if she told police. He also denied stealing gasoline from neighborhood cars in the hours before the fire. An expert witness testified Tuesday that the fire was spread with gasoline as an accelerant.
Grevenstuk faces up to 50 years in prison for the convictions. The charge of arson causing bodily injury is a Class A felony, bringing a non-suspendible prison term of 20-50 years. The charges of burglary of the church, a Class C felony, and theft of gasoline, a Class D felony, also mandate prison time.
But Kosciusko County Prosecutor David Kolbe said the sentences will be served concurrently, or at the same time, since the charges all stem from the same incident.
"I'm glad it's over," Kolbe said after the verdicts. "I hope the church can feel like they have some closure."
Grevenstuk, 17, is scheduled to be sentenced July 16 at 1 p.m.
When Judge Rex Reed read the first guilty verdict to the arson charge, Grevenstuk's sister ran out of the courtroom in tears. His father, convicted arsonist Michael Grevenstuk, sat silently through the event.
Grevenstuk squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. As Reed continued to pronounced the guilty verdicts, Grevenstuk started to sob loudly, breaking into audible gasps at times and resting his head on the table in front of him as he cried, rocking his head back and forth.
At one point, he looked over to reporters and shook his head back and forth with tears in his eyes, mouthing the word, "No."
Defense lawyer Arvil Howe asked the judge to poll the jurors and as they each agreed they voted guilty, Kolbe silently gave a thumbs-up sign to investigators in the audience.
When the jury rose to leave the courtroom, Grevenstuk turned to his father in the audience behind him and said quietly, "They f----d me, man, f----d me big time."
Grevenstuk will be held in Kosciusko County Jail without bond until his hearing. He is already in custody, serving sentences on two other felony convictions of theft and auto theft.
As a jailer came to lead him away, Grevenstuk hugged his father tightly and said to his mother, "They f----d me." She replied, "Watch your mouth."
Then as Grevenstuk walked away, she said, "'Bye, Tim, I love you."
He answered, "I love you too, Mom."
Both of Timothy's parents testified during the trial attempting to establish an alibi for Tim. His mother, Sheila, said he was home watching TV the night of the fire, and his father also said he didn't think Tim left the family home.
In his closing arguments, Kolbe instructed jurors not to judge Grevenstuk because of the "valueless" environment he was raised in. Although both his parents were convicted of burning down their home in Milford, Grevenstuk was innocent until proven guilty, Kolbe said.
Howe questioned the way investigators handled the case against Grevenstuk and pointed out that there was no physical evidence like fingerprints or footprints that incriminated Grevenstuk. [[In-content Ad]]