Man charged after fire destroys Houston County church days before Christmas, deputies say

A Houston County man has been charged with first-degree arson in a fire that destroyed a Houston County church three days before Christmas.

Issac Demorreo Lester, 37, was already in jail on an unrelated battery charge when he was charged Thursday in connection with the early morning fire Dec. 22, Houston County sheriff’s Capt. Jon Holland said. Lester was arrested on the battery charge Dec. 26.

The 3:15 a.m. fire at Friendship Baptist Church in the unincorporated area of Hendersonville near Perry gutted the structure, leaving only the concrete walls standing, Holland said.

The walls have to be torn down for safety reasons, Holland said.

The motive for the alleged arson remains under investigation, he said.

The church was located at 427 Hodge Road. Lester lives within a two-mile radius of the church, Holland said.

The church congregation is mostly African American but race is not thought to have been a factor, Holland said. Lester is also African American.

The church may have been built in the 1890s, but that has not been confirmed, Holland said.

Evidence at the scene aided in the investigation that led to identifying Lester as the suspect, Holland said. He declined to elaborate.

The fire was investigated jointly by the sheriff’s office, the Houston County Fire Department and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, according to a news release.

Anyone with information related to the fire is asked to contact sheriff’s investigator Sgt. Greg Pennycuff at 478-542-2080 or 478-218-4790, or chief fire investigator Bill Smith at 478-542-2040.

This story was originally published January 2, 2020 at 3:47 PM.