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Roger Hale is expected to testify today that he did not set fire to his house in 1996.
The state finished its case Tuesday afternoon, accusing Hale of intentionally setting a fire that destroyed his home on Sept. 24, 1996. The defense began to call witnesses this morning.
Hale is on trial in Kosciusko Superior Court I for arson, a Class A felony. The charge was raised to the highest felony because a fireman was allegedly injured fighting the fire.
In testimony Tuesday, an investigator for the insurance company of the home testified that he believed the fire was not accidental, but he could not say what actually caused the fire.
Testimony Monday and Tuesday focused on different kinds of burn patterns found in the house and what the patterns supposedly showed.
While the prosecution used firefighters to say the patterns showed an unnatural fire behavior, the defense questioned whether electrical or structural problems could have contributed to the fire.
David Francis, Hale's cousin, testified that he did not remember signing a police affidavit because he was intoxicated at the time. The affidavit alleges Francis was with Hale the night before the fire and knew Hale started the fire in the house.
Hale is accused of setting fire to the house, allegedly to get rid of memories of his ex-wife and to collect insurance money.
The prosecution called Det. Sgt. Sam Whitaker, the investigator from the Kosciusko County Sheriff's Department, who testified Francis gave him the statement in January 1997 and signed it. The testimony Francis gave earlier in the trial was inconsistent with the signed statement Whitaker read to the jury.
The defense moved for a directed verdict, arguing there was not enough evidence to prove arson started the fire and lack of evidence that a firefighter was injured. The prosecution said the circumstantial evidence showed the fire's cause was suspicious and the jury must decide if the firefighter was injured. The judge denied the motion.
