Cherokee County men James Douglas Millsaps and Dallas Dwayne Carringer charged with arson

Written by Asheville Citizen-Times

Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Jon Ostendorff

Investigators have charged two men with burning the Cherokee County home of a man the sheriff says shot and killed their friend.

Sheriff Keith Lovin said Monday that the fire set at the vacation home of James and Carolyn McKinley on Wednesday appears to be “revenge or retaliation” for the death of 24-year-old Gregory Oliver Abernathy.

Abernathy died from two gunshot wounds at the Boling Springs Road house on Oct. 24 after a confrontation with James McKinley.

The sheriff said McKinley shot Abernathy with an AK-47 assault rifle. McKinley has not been charged. His primary residence is near Atlanta.

Deputies were called to the home that night to check a complaint about all-terrain vehicles on the property.

Prosecutors are reviewing the case, the sheriff said.

Investigators on Thursday and Friday arrested James Douglas Millsaps, 46, of Walnut Cove Road, and Dallas Dwayne Carringer, 17, of Wade Decker Road, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Millsaps faces charges of conspiracy to commit murder, arson and breaking and entering. Carringer is also charged with conspiracy to commit murder.

The McKinleys were not at home during the fire.

Source: http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20091103/NEWS01/911030340/1252

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“We’ve had success bringing illegal riders to justice by snapping photos of their ID stickers. The problem in California is that they’re too darn small to see from far away or at high speeds. While I’m normally not in favor of the government getting involved in things, requiring all ORVs to have a visible ID with a minimum size and standard location would make them an even better tool for property owners to identify trespassing riders. We should also look to Wyoming’s lead and make trespassing penalties clear so riders think twice before they head off designated trails and onto my land.”

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