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Rucker pleads not guilty to St. Ann's arson |
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February 18, 2017 |
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Shane Rucker, 33, Bonners Ferry, appeared in
U.S. District Court Friday in Coeur d'Alene and
entered a plea of not guilty to two charges
brought Wednesday by a Boise grand jury for
allegedly burning down St. Ann's Catholic Church
in Bonners Ferry April 21, 2016.
Rucker was charged under federal statutes with
destruction of religious property and using a
fire to damage or destroy religious property. If
convicted, Rucker faces a maximum penalty of 20
years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on
each count.
In order to gain a conviction under these
statutes, part of President Bill Clinton's
Church Arson Prevention Act of 1996, prosecutors
will have to prove that not only did the
defendant set the fires, but that he did so
because of the religious character of that
property or that the arson was committed
intentionally to obstruct any person in the
enjoyment of that person’s free exercise of
religious beliefs.
Firefighters were called to St. Ann's at
approximately 1 a.m. Thursday, April 21, where
they found the building fully engulfed.
Investigation found that three separate fires
had been started in the basement, and that
religious statues had been been vandalized.
Similar vandalism had been reported about two
months earlier at both St. Ann's and Trinity
Lutheran Church, also in Bonners Ferry.
If the fire was set to deny others their right
to worship, it didn't work for very long; St.
Ann's parishioners were soon made welcome at a
neighboring church until temporary facilities
were brought in. This spring, reconstruction to
begin to replace the 120-year-old church.
Though his name was not officially released,
Rucker was identified early on as a person of
interest. He had been charged with three counts
of burglary later on the day of the St. Ann's
fire after being spotted shortly after 4 p.m.
attempting to break in to the Rex Theater, and
reported not long after for breaking into two
vehicles. Those charges were later reduced from
felonies to two misdemeanor counts of unlawful
entry and one of petit theft, and upon being
convicted, he was fined and sentenced to 180
days in jail, given credit for 124 days served
and 56 days were suspended.
At Friday's federal hearing, Rucker requested
and was appointed a public defender, and trial
was set for March 20.
In addition to the federal trial, Rucker is also
scheduled to appear for trial in District Court
May 9 before Judge Barbara Buchanan on a felony
charge of possession of a controlled substance
resulting from an October 6, 2015 arrest. |
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