Clermont County couple indicted for alleged roles in arson investigation

Asa M. Dawson, 35, and Kaitlyn Dawson, 32, of Clermont County, were indicted Feb. 29 for their alleged roles in a residential fire believed to have been intentionally set on Sept. 20, 2022.

The residence was in the 2300 block of Vista Lake Drive in Batavia Township, Clermont County.

A Clermont County grand jury returned an indictment for Asa and Kaitlyn Dawson on the following charges:

• Two counts of aggravated arson, both felonies of the first degree;

• Two counts of aggravated arson, both felonies of the second degree;

• One count of telecommunication fraud, a felony of the second degree;

• One count of tampering with evidence, a felony of the third degree;

• One count of insurance fraud, a felony of the third degree;

• Two counts of arson, both felonies of the fourth degree; and

• One count of arson, a misdemeanor of the first degree.

On Sept. 20, 2022 at 8:57 p.m., the Clermont County Communication Center received a 911 call from a witness reporting a house was on fire. The Clermont County Sheriff’s Office and Central Joint Fire and EEMS were dispatched to the scene, arriving at 9:03 p.m. Units determined nobody was within the home, but upon arrival, the structure was fully engulfed and later determined to be a complete loss.

Once the fire was extinguished, the Clermont County Fire Investigation Team (CCFIT) was contacted to determine the cause. On Sept. 21, 2022, CCFIT deemed the incident suspicious and contacted the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Unit for assistance. Detectives from the Sheriff’s Office contacted the State Fire Marshal’s Office, and the investigation immediately began.

Detectives learned Asa Dawson was allegedly identified on a neighbor’s home surveillance system around 8:20 p.m., where he returned to his residence and left a short time later. After Dawson allegedly departed from his residence, the house was observed to be fully engulfed in flames.

The rapid progression of the fire throughout the home was suspicious to investigators and consistent with the use of accelerants. Evidence was gathered, including fire debris, which was subsequently tested at the State Fire Marshal’s Forensic Lab, confirming the use of accelerants.

When interviewed by detectives, Asa Dawson initially denied going inside the house when he returned home before the fire, but later allegedly changed his story. Further investigation revealed although Asa’s wife, Kaitlyn, was out of state on the date of the fire, they both allegedly significantly increased their insurance policy about a month before the incident. Fire investigators also discovered the house allegedly contained minimal personal contents with no evidence of everyday household items.

The Clermont County Sheriff’s Office has worked with the Clermont County Fire Investigation Team and State Fire Marshal’s Office throughout this investigation.

An indictment is merely a charge and is not evidence of guilt.

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