Dwight C. Henline, a 33-year-old Friday Harbor man, pleaded not guilty to arson on May 26 in the U.S District Court of Western Washington.
According to an order filed in September, the trial set for Nov. 14 at 1 p.m. has been continued to June 20. Presiding Judge John H. Chun wrote in his Order Granting Continuance that failure to grant such a continuance in this proceeding would likely result in a miscarriage of justice, additional time requested is a reasonable period of delay, as the defendant has requested more time to prepare for trial, to investigate the matter, to gather evidence material to the defense, and to consider possible defenses; and that “discovery and issues, in this case, are complex, warranting additional time for preparation.”
Background:
On the morning of April 7, smoke billowed over the Town of Friday Harbor and areas of Spring and First Street were blocked off to traffic as firefighters worked to extinguish a fire that originated in the Windermere building.
According to the probable cause statement, a CCTV video from the Windermere office that faced toward the rear wooden deck area of Crystal Seas Kayaking shows a bright flash of light at approximately 10:04 p.m. on April 6. The flash of light lasted approximately 34 seconds before diminishing.
“Based upon an analysis of the video, it is the combined opinion of the subject matter experts from ATF National Response Team, that the video depicts fire dynamics consistent with an ignitable liquid,” reads the statement.
According to the ATF, it is not unusual for a fire caused by ignitable liquids to smolder for hours before flaring up once combustible materials dry out sufficiently.
On the evening of April 6, Henline was contacted by a Friday Harbor deputy while he was in his vehicle at the Washington State Ferries C-lot to serve a trespass warning letter for a local church property. Henline told Holt he was planning to leave the island and stay with a family member near Oak Harbor.
At 9:53 p.m., Henline is seen purchasing a bottle of lighter fluid from a local business, and at 10:04 p.m. the flash is visible on the CCTV footage. One minute later, a subject matching Henline’s description is seen quickly leaving the area between the Cask and Schooner and Crystal Seas Kayaking before retrieving a suitcase at the bottom of the steps by the Cheesecake Cafe. The same subject then moves toward the walk-on section of the ferry terminal, and at 10:13 p.m. Henline is seen boarding the ferry to Anacortes. At the Anacortes terminal, Henline is seen getting into a waiting sedan.
