State police have charged a second man in connection with a fire that was intentionally set at a home in Thompson in 2024.
James Chenevert, 59, of Webster, Massachusetts was arrested Monday on a warrant charging him with two counts of criminal attempt to commit murder and one count of conspiracy to commit first-degree arson of an occupied building, according to Connecticut State Police.
State police said Chenevert was taken into custody in Bristol just before 7:30 p.m. on Monday. According to the warrant affidavit, he was previously in state custody and was released to a sober house in Bristol. He was held on a $500,000 bond and was expected to face a judge in Danielson Superior Court on Tuesday.
According to the arrest warrant affidavit, the arrest stems from a fire at a home in the North Grosvenordale section of Thompson just before 3 a.m. on May 13, 2024, where two people were residing. Both residents, ages 63 and 58, were able to make it out of the home safely.
Officials investigating the fire found burn pattern evidence and fire damage suggesting it was intentionally set on three different walls of the home, the warrant affidavit said. They also allegedly found a liquid that was found to be gasoline.
Investigators canvassing the scene also allegedly found a gas can in the area and a black iPhone, the warrant affidavit said. Both items were allegedly found to have DNA consistent with Chenevert and another suspect, 42-year-old Walter Lawson of Putnam, who was charged last week, the warrant affidavit said.
CT man accused of attempted murder, arson in house fire that followed dispute with homeowner’s son
According to the warrant affidavit, the married couple who resides in the home speculated to police that the fire could have been set in connection with the wife’s son, who allegedly struggles with substance abuse. During a previous incident, the woman told police, an alleged drug dealer known as “L” put a gun in her son’s mouth because he owed him money, according to the warrant affidavit. At one point, the drug dealer allegedly showed up at her home looking for her son, she told police.
State police investigators believe the man described as “L” is Lawson, the warrant affidavit said.
During the investigation, detectives uncovered phone calls involving alleged associates who were being held in custody at different state correctional facilities. During one of the calls, state police said Chenevert allegedly expressed concern about the fire and said he believed Lawson was the prime suspect.
During another call, the warrant affidavit said, Lawson could allegedly be heard saying he was going to kill someone’s mother and burn her house down, the warrant affidavit said.
Police spoke to Chenevert in July 2025 while he was being held at a correctional facility in Somers. During the interview, he said he had been beaten by five men with baseball bats a few days prior to the fire in Woodstock, according to the warrant affidavit. He told police he was able to identify one of the assailants as the son of someone whose name was redacted from the warrant.
Chenevert allegedly said he, Lawson and another individual were staying at a hotel in Groton at the time, the warrant affidavit said. The night of the fire, Chenevert said, Lawson and the other individual left the hotel and, when they returned, Lawson allegedly admitted that he set a home on fire, according to the warrant affidavit. Chenevert said he believed the fire was set as revenge for the assault days prior, state police wrote.
In April 2025, state police went to a correction facility to speak with a woman about the investigation. Her connection to the investigation was not made clear in the warrant affidavit.
According to the warrant affidavit, the woman told police she knew they were there to speak about the arson and allegedly admitted that she was there with another person when she set the fire. She allegedly said she poured gasoline around the yard, near the home and around the shed, state police wrote.
Last month, the woman’s attorney contacted investigators and said she wanted to speak with authorities about the arson. The woman now claimed that Lawson was the one who actually started the fire and that she had lied before because she was afraid of him, the warrant affidavit said.
The woman told police that Chenevert had driven her and Lawson to get the gasoline that was used in the fire and that he also drove them to the residence, according to the warrant affidavit. Afterward, she said, Chenevert drove the three of them back to a hotel in Groton.
Lawson was charged last week with two counts of attempted murder and a single count of first-degree arson of an occupied building and conspiracy to commit first-degree arson.
Lawson also faces charges tied to two stabbings, including one that left a man dead, and accusations that he sold cocaine to a juvenile, according to court records. He remains held on bonds totaling more than $2 million.
