By Josephine E. Moore, The Register-Herald
BECKLEY, W.Va. — The two Beckley men charged with arson in connection with the fire that destroyed the former home of West Virginia Gov. Hulett C. Smith were correctional officers at Southern Regional Jail in Beaver.
David W. Cole, 30, and Billy R. Workman, 24, both of Beckley, were arrested and charged with first-degree arson and conspiracy for their alleged role in burning down a former West Virginia governor’s home on Sunday, Oct. 20, on Crestview Drive in Beckley.
According to the criminal complaints, Cole and Workman told law enforcement that the fire was started by lighting brake fluid purchased earlier that day at a gas station across the street from the former governor’s home.
The property where the structure sits has been owned by James “Jay” C. Justice, III, the son of current West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice, since 2014.
