According to court records, Toni Grove, 43, apartment complex manager, and Shawn Mikelson Riley, 30, complex resident, were cleared of all charges in connection with the Oct. 1 fire at the complex that displaced 15 residents.
The couple's accuser, Sheila Turnbull, 29, who lived in the apartment complex, was charged Friday with first-degree arson and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, according to the charges.
A warrant was issued for Turnbull's arrest on Nov. 30. She was booked into the Sequoyah County Jail in Sallisaw Friday and was released on a $25,000 bond Saturday, according to jail records.
At 11:45 p.m. Oct. 1, firefighters were called to the Sky Blue Apartment complex about a fire at a vacant apartment. Muldrow Fire Chief Joe Shamblin reported that there were nine apartments in the complex and eight of them had tenants. The Oklahoma State Fire Marshal's Office and the Muldrow Police Department investigated the suspected arson.
Shamblin reported after the fire that the apartment where the fire originated and the adjoining apartments received the most damage, while the others received smoke and water damage.
Several gas containers labeled with stickers from the Dollar General Store that were found at the complex, prompting police to investigate.
According to court records, Muldrow Police Investigator Tim Keith went to the Dollar General Store Oct. 2 and talked with a clerk, who remembered a woman who came into the store the day before and bought two gas cans. The woman was reportedly acting nervous and told the lady behind her in line that her friend's vehicle had broken down, Keith reported.
The woman, Sheila Turnbull, was identified in a photo line-up, and was later questioned by police. Turnbull, who lived in the apartment next door to where the fire originated, told police that Grove asked her to buy the gas cans and several pairs of gloves so that Riley could fix a car. Turnbull said Grove told her after the fire that they purchased gas for the jugs and put Kiltz in the apartment to make it burn faster. Turnbull said that Grove allegedly told the tenants that Riley did what he had to do and that they would be in a better place. Turnbull claimed that Riley allegedly threatened her life if she said anything about the fire.
On Oct. 16, three days after Riley and Grove were arrested, an audio tape of a juvenile telling details about the fire was submitted to police. On Oct. 20, Keith reported that the juvenile and his mother came to the police department and the juvenile told police that he lit the fire and that Turnbull paid him $100 to do it. The juvenile told Keith that Turnbull's son, also a juvenile, was with him when he poured gas in the apartment window and lit it. After the fire, Turnbull allegedly picked up the juveniles and got on Interstate 40 in Muldrow to go to Roland. The juvenile told police that somewhere between Roland and Muldrow, they threw out the gloves.
