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By Lynn Hotaling
and Carey King
A suspect remains in custody after she confessed to setting a
series of fires that sent shock waves through the Western Carolina
University community.
The first two fires, at 1:30 a.m. Oct. 28 and 3 a.m. Oct. 29,
were set in trash cans in separate rest rooms; the third, at 8:15
a.m. on Oct. 30, involved a bed.
All three fires occurred on the fifth floor, west wing of nine-story
Mary White Scott Residence Hall, one of three high-rise dorms
on the WCU campus.
Kelly Nicole Ritsema, a 22-year-old Raleigh senior who served
as resident assistant on that floor, made a statement and is currently
undergoing treatment at an undisclosed location, said Assistant
District Attorney Monica Leslie. Ritsema has been charged with
one count of attempted first-degree arson, two counts of first-degree
arson, two counts of burning of an educational building and one
count of attempted burning of an educational building, but those
charges have not yet been served, Leslie said.
Prosecutors anticipate the warrants against Ritsema will be served
this week, Leslie said.
Western
Carolina University Chancellor John Bardo addressed students Thursday
(Oct. 30) in the wake of the third fire in as many days in one
of the school's high-rise dormitories. A suspect, Kelly Nicole
Ritsema, a 22-year-old senior from Raleigh, confessed Thursday
night to setting the fires and is currently receiving treatment
at an undisclosed location. Charges including first-degree arson
had been filed but not served at press time Wednesday (Nov. 5),
said Assistant District Attorney Monica Leslie. Ritsema was resident
assistant and lived on the fifth floor, west wing of Scott Residence
Hall, where all three fires occurred. Bardo and other WCU officials
kept students and the community informed of progress in the investigation
through a series of briefings at the campus Bell Tower. –
Herald photo by Lynn Hotaling
WCU Chancellor John Bardo termed Ritsema's statement
a "confession" and said she was in custody during a
noon Friday briefing at the campus Bell Tower. He indicated at
that time that charges including arson and attempted arson were
pending.
Ritsema was primarily interviewed by an arson investigator from
the State Bureau of Investigation, said Gene McAbee, WCU's director
of police.
The dormitory was not damaged, though some residents lost possessions
due to water damage after smoke and flames triggered sprinklers,
Bardo said.
During his remarks, the chancellor praised the WCU community for
rallying together in the face of the fear that gripped the campus
and singled out local firefighters for their efforts.
"I'd like to thank everyone, particularly the Cullowhee Fire
Department," Bardo said. "I've been around big-city
fire departments, but the volunteers at Cullowhee are the best."
He also thanked university administrators, faculty and staff for
their diligence in contacting families of students living in Scott
Hall and for maintaining a hotline so students' families could
call campus and receive accurate information.
In addition, Bardo praised campus security and State Bureau of
Investigation personnel for their prompt and thorough investigation.
But he saved his highest accolades for WCU's students.
"To the students: I can't tell you how proud I am,"
Bardo said. "You rose to the occasion, especially the ladies
of the fifth floor.
"This is one of life's lessons all of us wish you had not
had to learn, but if it had to be learned, you learned it the
right way," Bardo said.
Ritsema's statement and removal from campus ended round-the-clock
police surveillance of Scott and other dormitories.
In an effort to calm students' fears, Bardo and his wife spent
Thursday night in Scott's fifth floor west wing, and he expressed
appreciation to the students who helped make their stay comfortable.
Students, especially residents of fifth-floor Scott were visibly
shaken and emotional during two Thursday Bell Tower briefings.
The floor where the fires were set is a sorority hall and is home
to the sisters of Alpha Xi Delta. Ritsema, their RA, is a member
of Phi Mu sorority, said Bill Studenc, WCU senior director of
news service.
After the third fire, security personnel closed off the affected
floor for most of Thursday but allowed the residents back into
their rooms around 4 p.m.
Several members of Alpha Xi Delta declined comment about the fires
or Ritsema and indicated their sorority had agreed not to discuss
recent campus events with the press.
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