A joint investigation involving special agents of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and representatives of several other agencies has resulted in the indictment of a Bradley County, Tennessee man on an arson charge.
At the request of 10th District Attorney General Stephen Crump, TBI agents joined the Benton (Tenn.) Police Department, the district attorney's office and Tennessee Fire Investigation Services to investigate a structure fire that occurred during the early morning hours of Aug. 15. The building that burned was the Mercy Tabernacle Church on Clemmer Ferry Road in Benton.
In the course of the investigation, agents uncovered information that Jon Hembree was responsible for setting the fire.
The Polk County Grand Jury returned an indictment on Nov. 5 charging Jon David Hembree, 32, with one count of arson.
Hembree turned himself in the authorities and was arrested Monday. He was booked into the Polk County Jail on a $15,000 bond.