A Celina, Tennessee man who stands accused of the attempted murder of three local residents was arraigned in Clinton Circuit Court on Thursday, June 9.

Ricky Lee York, 28, was determined eligible for the services of the Department of Public Advocacy. Attorney Brad Shuffett was appointed to represent the defendant, who waived formal arraignment and entered a plea of not guilty to three counts of Attempted Murder, one count of first degree Arson and four counts of second degree Persistent Felony Offender.

Circuit Judge David L. Williams set a trial date in the case of October 25 and 26, and scheduled a pretrial conference for August 11 at 9 a.m.

York was indicted on the charges by a Clinton County Grand Jury on May 5 in relation to a home fire that occurred in southern Clinton County on March 11. The suspect was arrested six days later, while already incarcerated in the Clinton County Jail on a separate warrant out of the state of Tennessee.

The fire occurred at a residence at 77 Old Kentucky Road. Although the house was a total loss, fortunately there were no injuries.

Albany Fire Department Chief Robert Roeper said after the incident that the structure was already fully engulfed in flames when firemen arrived on the scene. In addition to the main structure, an outbuilding was also destroyed by the fire, but a nearby house was prevented by the department from becoming involved. “There was nothing left to save, the buildings were really close together,” the fire chief said.

Roeper said the house was involved with ongoing construction. Arson may have been considered early in the investigation, as the fire chief said the fire originated in a location of the house where no electricity had been hooked up yet.

“Witnesses said when they saw the fire it was on a couch in a room where there was no electricity and there was some stuff on the couch burning,” Roeper said.

Kentucky State Police Arson Investigator Alex Wesley was then called to investigate.

York had been booked on March 15 on a Failure to Appear warrant out of Tennessee, but was actually being held at the Russell County Jail at the time he was served with the additional charges by state police.

Detective Wesley of the KSP Arson Unit is the lead investigator in the case.