Alexandria Man Gets Eight Year Sentence for Arson

An Alexandria man charged with aggravated arson for allegedly setting fire to the residence where he lived on Lower Helton Road last summer was sentenced in DeKalb County Criminal Court Wednesday
24 year old Shawn Patrick Byrd entered a plea to the charge of arson under a negotiated settlement and received an eight year sentence, all suspended to supervised probation. He will be under Tennessee Department of Correction Supervision by Community Corrections. Byrd will also undergo mental health counseling as part of the plea agreement. He was given jail credit from June 19, 2014 to August 22, 2014
According to Sheriff Patrick Ray, the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department responded to the fire on Wednesday, June 18, 2014 at Byrd’s residence on Lower Helton Road in Alexandria. When firefighters found the source of the blaze they thought it to be suspicious and summoned a sheriff’s department detective to the scene. The detective conducted an investigation and discovered what appeared to be an intentionally set fire. Through the investigation, Byrd was identified as a suspect. During the interview with the detective, Byrd allegedly admitted to starting the fire.
Sheriff Ray said the investigation revealed that the fire was set in the upstairs portion of the residence next to the HVAC unit in the closet using a table cloth and a piece of wood. Three other adults were in the home at the time including two downstairs and one upstairs.