An arson case involving a former governor’s home leads to an arrest

A man has been arrested and charged in a fire that destroyed a home in Raleigh County earlier this month. 30-year old David W. Cole of Beckley has been charged with first-degree arson and conspiracy to commit a felony stemming from an Oct. 20 fire. The fire destroyed a home along Crestview Drive in Beckley that used to be the residence of former West Virginia Gov. Hullett Smith, according to a MetroNews report. Cole is being held on a $100,000 bond in Southern Regional Jail. The investigation is continuing and another arrest is expected soon.