Lebanon Man Held Without Bond After Allegedly Setting Fire to Home With Man Sleeping Inside

Earl Richard Yenter has been charged in Laclede County Circuit Court with first-degree arson, a Class B felony, following an August 17 fire at a residence on Hillsdale Road in Lebanon.

Court records give a detailed account of what investigators say happened that afternoon, including statements Yenter allegedly made after returning to the scene.

Man woke to smell of smoke

According to the probable cause statement, emergency crews were dispatched to the home at approximately 5:26 p.m. after receiving a report that Yenter had started a fire inside the residence and left.

David Yenter told investigators he had been sleeping in his bedroom when he woke up and smelled smoke. He initially thought someone was burning trash, but when he got up to check on Earl, he found portions of the kitchen and Earl’s bedroom on fire.

David was able to extinguish the fire inside the home.

He then began looking for Earl but could not find him. Earl’s vehicle was also gone from the driveway.

According to the probable cause statement, investigators learned Earl had reportedly left the residence approximately 10 minutes before the fire. Investigators were also told Earl had allegedly said he poured brake fluid on the carpet in an attempt to commit suicide.

Investigators find acetone can and burn trail

Once inside the home, investigators reported finding damage that appeared to show how the fire had been set.

The kitchen floor was burned, with a burned trail leading toward Earl’s bedroom. Inside the bedroom, investigators found what they described as a back-and-forth burn pattern consistent with a fluid being used to start the fire.

They also found an empty can of acetone with the cap removed.

Earl returned a short time later and spoke with investigators.

Yenter allegedly describes starting fire

According to the probable cause statement, Yenter told investigators he had obtained acetone and sprayed it throughout carpeted areas of the bedroom, closet and dining room before lighting a match.

He allegedly said the fire “exploded” when the match was lit.

Yenter then reportedly told investigators he laid in bed hoping the smoke would asphyxiate him and that he would go to sleep and burn, but “it did not work.”

The probable cause statement also describes an apparent dispute inside the home.

Investigators say Yenter told them he was determined to make another person leave the residence, so he decided to give the residence and that person “a place full of ashes.”

He also allegedly told investigators that “slow burning kerosene would have done more work.”

When Yenter was arrested, investigators say he responded, “Well I figured I would be.”

Prosecutors file first-degree arson charge

The Laclede County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged Yenter with first-degree arson.

According to the complaint, prosecutors allege Yenter knowingly damaged the Hillsdale Road residence by starting the fire while David Yenter was inside, recklessly placing him in danger of death or serious physical injury.

Missouri court records identify the charge as a Class B felony and classify first-degree arson as a dangerous felony.

The case is being heard in the 26th Judicial Circuit in Laclede County under case number 26LA-CR00786.

Judge orders Yenter held without bond

A warrant issued in the case shows the court found reasonable grounds to believe Yenter would not appear in response to a summons or that he posed a danger to the alleged victim, the community or another person.

The court ordered Yenter detained pending trial with no bond allowed, finding that a combination of monetary and non-monetary release conditions would not be enough to secure the safety of the community or another person.

Court documents also include additional conditions of release, including no alcohol or unauthorized controlled substances, no possession of firearms or deadly weapons and no contact with the alleged victim. Yenter is also prohibited from coming within 500 feet of the alleged victim or the victim’s property.

Yenter is registered Tier 3 sex offender

Yenter also appears on the Missouri State Highway Patrol Sex Offender Registry.

Registry records list him as a compliant Tier Level 3 offender living in Laclede County.

According to the registry, Yenter’s underlying offense was child molestation involving a 9-year-old girl in Marysville, Washington. The offense date is listed as February 23, 2003. Yenter was 67 years old at the time.

The registry lists a conviction or plea in Snohomish County, Washington, on October 26, 2009.

That conviction is separate from the current Laclede County case.

Yenter has been charged with a crime, but the charge is an allegation. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

Lebanon Now will continue following the case as it moves through Laclede County Circuit Court.