FAYETTEVILLE -- A Springdale man who had his arson and residential burglary convictions reversed and remanded by the Arkansas Court of Appeals last month has a new trial set in Washington County Circuit Court.
Circuit Judge Mark Lindsay set Donnie Ray Fronterhouse's case for Sept. 28.
A Washington County Circuit Court jury took about 45 minutes in November 2013 to find Fronterhouse, 49, guilty of arson and residential burglary for torching Tara Sue Ramirez's Keystone Crossing apartment July 7, 2012.
Fronterhouse was sentenced to 30 years in prison and fined $5,000.
The fire on Electric Avenue did more than $144,000 damage to the building. Ramirez and the resident of an adjacent apartment lost everything, and other residents' belongings were damaged by the early morning fire. Investigators determined it was set intentionally.
Fronterhouse told jurors during the penalty phase of the trial that he did not set the fire.
The case against Fronterhouse largely was circumstantial.
Fronterhouse and Ramirez were arguing July 6, 2012, according to neighbors. He was drinking beer. Ramirez left for Green Forest. About 1 a.m. July 7, her apartment burned. Police found Fronterhouse in an adjacent field just before dawn, but he wasn't charged until some time later.
Text messages Fronterhouse sent Ramirez after the fire contained several references to arson and a "weenie roast" at her apartment.
The defense maintained prosecutors failed to prove Fronterhouse kicked in the door of the apartment or set the fire and never looked at other potential suspects.
On appeal, justices said Fronterhouse should have been allowed to impeach a witness regarding her prior convictions involving dishonesty and false statements.
NW News on 05/12/2015