The historic building that once stood in downtown Wapakoneta, home to nearly two dozen people, was demolished due to a series of events beginning with arson. The man responsible was sentenced to prison on Thursday.
Wesley Slaughter was sentenced to the negotiated sentence of 19 years in prison for five counts of aggravated arson. He was also sentenced to pay over $32,000 in restitution with $9,300 to go towards five families affected by the fire.
Sentencing has been delayed for a 20-year-old man who pleaded guilty to setting fire to a downtown Wapakoneta landmark just before Christmas. Wesley Slaughter was scheduled to be sentenced, but the prosecutors and his attorney saw a problem with the amount of restitution that he would be required to pay back. Judge Fredrick Pepple ordered sentencing be pushed back until October 3rd, so those numbers can get ironed out. Slaughter pleaded guilty to 5 counts of aggravated arson, which could put him in prison around 19 years.
The man accused of starting a fire in the former Koneta Hotel in Wapakoneta has taken a plea deal. 20-year-old Wesley Slaughter pleaded guilty to four counts of first-degree felony aggravated arson. It's recommended he serves 11 years for each charge but served concurrently. Slaughter also pleaded guilty to second degree aggravated arson with a recommended 8 years on that charge for a total of 19 years.
After months of consideration, the fate of the Koneta Hotel in Wapakoneta has finally been decided. Five months after a late-night fire damaged the building and displaced several families, the owner of the property and the city have come to the conclusion that what is left of the building must come down. Although originally plans to redevelop and renovate the building were discussed, the recent rainfall made the task too big a project for anyone local to pursue.
A Wapakoneta man was found competent to stand trial in Auglaize County Common Pleas court Wednesday afternoon. 20-year-old Wesley Slaughter was found mentally fit to continue with a trial after two mental evaluations earlier this year.
The Wapakoneta teen accused of starting the fire in a downtown building will be back in court on Friday to review his competency examination. 19-year-old Wesley Slaughter had his physiological evaluation a couple of weeks ago in Dayton. Now the results are back and Judge Fredrick Pepple will hold a competency hearing to determine if Slaughter will either be admitted to a mental health facility or will stand trial on the multiple counts of aggravated arson that he is facing.
The Auglaize County Common Pleas Court is still waiting on results from a mental evaluation of the teenager accused of starting a fire in down…
The teenager accused of starting the fire that destroyed a downtown Wapakoneta building has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the charges against him.
The man alleged to have set fire to a downtown Wapakoneta apartment building has been indicted by a grand jury.
The man accused of setting fire to a downtown Wapakoneta building made his first appearance in court this afternoon.
