WILLIAMSON, W.Va. — A second arrest has been made in a murder and arson investigation in Williamson.
According to the Williamson Police Department, Charles “Chuck” Jarvis, 46, of Williamson, was arrested by Williamson Police and the Mingo County Sheriff’s Office on Tuesday. The Williamson Daily News is reporting that Jarvis was charged with murder and arson, among other charges.
Jarvis is the second person arrested in connection with a fire Saturday morning at an apartment building on Elm Street in Williamson. James Allen Church, 32, of Williamson, was arrested shortly after the fire and was also charged with first-degree murder. A third person, Terry Jarvis, of Naugatuck, is still being sought by police.
The investigation into Saturday’s fire is ongoing. Police say a person was beaten and stabbed to death inside an apartment at the scene of the fire before a fire was started to allegedly conceal evidence of the crime. The Williamson Daily is reporting that police believe Charles Jarvis, Terry Jarvis and Church broke into the apartment in an attempt to steal drugs and money from two females in retaliation for a prior incident.
The identity of the person killed in the incident has not yet been released.
The fire in the apartment spread and heavily damaged the building. Two Williamson firefighters and three residents of the apartment building were injured in the fire.