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Suspect Arraigned In Fatal Giles Co. Fire

Second Person Will Be Arrested In Case, Says Sheriff

POSTED: 6:38 pm CDT October 24, 2009
UPDATED: 9:41 pm CDT October 26, 2009

A man who is charged with setting a Giles County home on fire and killing a mother and two children was arraigned on Monday morning and appointed a public defender.

Related: Second Arrest Likely | Images | Video | Video | Video | RAW VIDEO: Police Investigate Fire

Desere Thornton and her two sons, Jerrod and Anthony, died inside their home early Friday morning after someone set their home on fire.

Authorities said on Friday night they arrested William Charles Angel Jr., 18, and charged him with three counts of murder in connection with the fatal fire.

A hearing for Angel is scheduled for Nov. 2 at 1 p.m. at the Giles County Courthouse.

Detectives with the Giles County Sheriff's Department and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation surveyed the charred home in rural Pulaski on Saturday.

Sheriff Kyle Helton said, "The community should feel safe. We know where the other suspect is and we'll be arresting him soon."

It is still unclear what motive Angel had in the case.

Sheriff Helton said, “They possibly knew each other from school."

"Just seeing the crime scene and the house makes it real. It's a tragedy," said neighbor Cathy Long.

A resident on Milky Way Drive said he'd seen more traffic along this road in the past two days, than he's seen in the past two years he's lived here.

"I live so close, saw it on TV, just wanted to see it for myself. It's heartbreaking," said Olivia Officer who knew Jerrod from classes they had together at Richland High School in Lynnville.

Officer said Jerrod was on the soccer team at school.

“There are maybe 600 people in our whole high school and you know everybody and bump into them in the halls. You wouldn't imagine someone you're in close contact with could do something like this,” she added.

On Saturday, other classmates like Taylor Warren honored the Thornton family outside the Victory Gym downtown which Desere once owned.

"I was upset last night thinking about Jerrod's death last night, its depressing," said Warren.

According to the pastor of The Well Church of God, where the Thornton family attended church, there will a memorial before the family's funeral there on Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 6 p.m.

The service is open to friends and family.


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