WATERVILLE, Maine — A 13-year-old girl has been cleared of charges that she started a fire in a Vassalboro Community School bathroom last November that forced the evacuation of hundreds of students.
The girl’s lawyer tells the Morning Sentinel that a judge determined that the state failed to prove its case against her.
The girl’s father says information came out at the trial showing that two other girls were in the bathroom at the same time as his daughter, and they left after her.
The fire that started on a plastic toilet paper dispenser forced the evacuation of about 500 students and caused smoke and water damage. No one was hurt.
Prosecutors says the evidence was not conclusive enough to link the girl to the fire.
Exciting news. My brother tried flushing a cherry bomb in high school. He got a face full of brown murky substance. Lesson learned.
You don’t stand there and wait for the fuse to burn ! I hope he learned a lot !
I suppose this girl has been out of school since the incident occurred…and now they find her innocent! Hopefully she was continuing her education somewhere. Were the other two girls questioned or did they come from the “right” side of the town (so to put it).
this really doesn’t mean that she is innocent of the charges, just not enough proof to convict her of it.
Then that would mean she’s innocent…with that mindset everyone that has been cleared of charges using our judicial system would still be considered guilty (but not really) because there just wasn’t enough proof to convict. I’m thinking a couple other girls should be checked out — wonder why this wasn’t looked into further…two girls who were still in the bathroom after this one left. I guess two girls stories are stronger than one trying to defend herself. Not enough to prove guilt means she was found not guilty and shouldn’t have to carry the stigma of feeling guilty and having teachers and students treating her that way…hopefully they will allow her to be the person she is INNOCENT!
OJ Simpson was found not guilty as well but the majority of people believe he was guilty, there just wasn’t able to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt. The other girls probably were checked out as well, I am not saying she is guilty as I have no idea, just stating that sometimes people are guilty even if they aren’t convicted. Hopefully she can get this behind her and move on with her life. If she really did do this she will either laugh because she got away with it or learn a lesson and stay out of trouble. I wish her well.