ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — A Buncombe County jury found a woman guilty of multiple counts related to a series of arsons in the Sandy Mush and Leicester communities in November 2021. The verdict for Ashley Debra Neal, 30, was delivered around noon Monday in Buncombe County Superior Court, Buncombe County District Attorney Todd Williams said in a news release.
Neal was convicted of the following charges:
- 3 counts burning certain buildings
- 4 counts felony conspiracy to commit the arsons
- 5 counts burning personal property
- 5 counts malicious use of explosive device
The charges stem from a series of fires that occurred in the early morning hours of Nov. 3, 2021, affecting multiple barns and hay sheds in the Sandy Mush, Newfound, Sugar Creek and Leicester communities. Each structure was destroyed, impacting family farms and livelihoods.
The Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, working in conjunction with local fire departments, the State Bureau of Investigation and community members, conducted an extensive investigation that led to the identification and arrest of Neal and two co-defendants, Blake Cameron Williams and Anthony DeWayne Boyd, on Nov. 15, 2021.
Williams and Boyd pleaded guilty to similar charges on May 18, 2023, and were sentenced to a minimum of 44 months and a maximum of 82 months in the N.C. Division of Adult Corrections, as well as $50,000 in restitution.
Neal was sentenced to serve no less than four years in the custody of N.C. prisons and a maximum term of 7.25 years. Neal will be released to probation upon the completion of her term of imprisonment.
Assistant District Attorneys Kyle Sherard and Meredith Mercer presented the state’s case to the jury.
“I thank the diligent and collaborative work of multiple law enforcement agencies and appreciate the strength and patience of the Leicester community as we sought justice and accountability in this case. We hope this verdict brings some measure of justice to all affected by these devastating fires,” Williams said in the release.