Historic school arson case sent to grand jury

Aug. 14—A special judge Wednesday ruled there is enough evidence in the arson of buildings at the historic campus of Cumberland Mountain School to send the case for review by the grand jury. The fire occurred on Aug. 1 and the preliminary hearing was held Aug. 9.

Dalton Douglas Rayburn, 29, listed on a CPD offense and arrest report as homeless and living in the Crossville area, is charged with one count of arson, the subject of the Wednesday hearing. He also has four public intoxication charges on the docket and those cases have been continued.

Special Judge John Meadows of White County made no comment when he ruled there existed enough probable cause to forward the case to the grand jury. This action removes the case from General Sessions Court.

Meadows set Rayburn's next court appearance for Nov. 6 on the arson case in Cumberland County Criminal Court.

Assistant District Attorney Philip Hatch relied on two witnesses: Wayne Shadden, owner of the former school that has been turned into an events facility, and Crossville Police Det. Tyrel Lorenz, one of the investigators of the fires.

Assistant Public Defenders Janis Mize and Ben Marsee did not call any witnesses.

Shadden testified he and his wife own the campus of the former Cumberland Mountain School. They were first alerted of a trespasser on the property at 3:27 a.m. when a surveillance camera captured a man on the property.

Later, the Shaddens received a phone call from fire officials who told them they needed to come to the property on Old Jamestown Hwy. because of the fire. When he arrived, Shadden testified the picnic pavilion that included two rest rooms was completely destroyed and two or three other buildings were on fire.

"It wasn't pretty to look at," Shadden testified.

One of those buildings — a bath house used for storing Christmas decorations — had been entered and decorations were observed stacked against one building that did not suffer great loss.

Shadden believes the decorations were used as an "accelerant" to set the fires. Shadden ended his testimony stating he did not know Rayburn and could not remember having ever seen him.

CPD Det. Lorenz testified he was called to the scene and reviewed the surveillance video from which a clothing description was developed and broadcast to police. Officers canvassed the area, showing the video and asking help in identifying the suspect. One witness said the man was seen at Walmart the day before.

Lorenz testified a check of Walmart surveillance video showed the man wearing the same clothing in the store and, from that video, the suspect's identity was made.

The detective continued that Crossville Fire Deputy Chief Terry Potter spotted the suspect walking on the road behind East Tennessee Dodge and Rayburn was taken into custody.

After being read his Miranda rights, Rayburn talked with investigators, according to Lorenz, and first denied knowledge of the fires. When informed about the surveillance video, Lorenz testified, Rayburn told investigators the fire was accidental.

In addition to clothing Rayburn was wearing when taken into custody matching those worn by the man on the video, police seized a disposable lighter that had melted foam on it like those found with the Christmas decorations.

Under cross examination from Mize, Lorenz said the surveillance video at the property did not show anyone setting the fire. He added Rayburn "mentioned he took illegal drugs and being our of his mind."

Lorenz concluded his testimony by telling Mize he "did not know any motive" for the fires being set.

The 30-minute hearing ended without the issue of bond being addressed. Rayburn continues to be held on $24,000 bond.

Sitting at the defense table with his attorneys, Rayburn twice attempted to respond to the detective's testimony but was cautioned to not comment during the hearing.

The Board of Missions of the Methodist Church was approached in 1918 by Robert Hall, who was appointed to preach in the county, with a proposal to open a school.

Hall's proposal was not embraced at first, but in 1919, the mission board established the school and work was begun that year. The school was opened in October 1921 with completion of Dorton Hall.

One of the first faculty members, Raymond Pay, later became a director of TVA and one of the members of the first graduating class, Hollis Edens, later became president of Duke University, according to "Cumberland County's First 100 Years."

Buildings on the campus were built with public and alumni donations and contributions from the church conference. The school closed in 1939 and later became Scarritt Rural Center.

The school has been closed for many years and just recently was purchased from the church conference with renovations made to turn the campus into an event facility.

Four of the buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Michael Moser may be reached at mmoser@crossville-chronicle.com