April 7, 2022
By: Dwayne Page
A 15-year-old boy is accused of being responsible for a fire in December which claimed the life of his father.
Alex Lemons was taken into custody Thursday evening at the sheriff’s department. He has been named in a juvenile petition for aggravated arson and first-degree murder in the death of 43-year-old Edward Lemons. The fire occurred at Lemons’ home at 5056 Jacobs Pillar Road.
Lemons made his first juvenile court appearance Monday but Judge Bratten Cook, II issued a gag order preventing the parties from discussing the case outside of court.
Although Sheriff Patrick Ray did not release the boy’s name on advice of the District Attorney General’s Office, the local media confirmed it independently. The teen is a student at DeKalb County High School.
“Today we took out petitions on a 15-year-old male. The petition is for first degree murder and aggravated arson,” said Sheriff Ray.
“On or about December 7, 2021, this juvenile did knowingly and intentionally set a residential fire located at 5056 Jacobs Pillar Road, Smithville which resulted in the death of his father, Edward Lemons,” said Sheriff Ray, reading from the petition.
“He was picked up this evening (Thursday) and we had a transport order that was signed by Juvenile Court Judge Bratten Cook, II. The boy was being housed in Cookeville at the detention center pending the Monday hearing,” added Sheriff Ray.
“We believe he intentionally set the fire with an accelerant. We, along with the Fire Division of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, gathered numerous items of evidence at the scene that were sent off to crime labs and those things support our case. Accelerant detecting dogs deployed at the scene were also helpful during the fire investigation,” added Sheriff Ray.
Sheriff Ray would not speculate on a motive for the fire. Whether or not the boy is to be prosecuted later as an adult has yet to be determined.
“This is a sad situation involving a family that is highly thought of by this community,” said Sheriff Ray.
E-911 dispatchers received a call at 8:02 p.m. on December 7 reporting a house fire at 5056 Jacobs Pillar Road. The Main Station, Blue Springs, Belk,, Cookeville Highway, and Liberty stations with the DeKalb County Volunteer Fire Department quickly responded, along with deputies with the DeKalb Sheriff’s Department and a unit with DeKalb EMS.
Upon arrival firefighters found the split-level home with fire engulfing the lower area of the structure. There was also a report that Edward Lemons, the resident, was trapped inside. Fire crews worked to contain the blaze, trying to keep the fire from spreading to the upper bedrooms, where Lemons was believed to be located. Despite firefighters’ best efforts, they were unable to reach Lemons in time. The home was destroyed in the blaze.
After the fire fundraisers were held in support of the Lemons family and a bank account was established which reportedly has amassed tens of thousands of dollars. Sheriff Ray said what happens to those funds might be decided later by a judge through civil court proceedings.