BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
INEZ — Police nabbed two additional suspects involved in the desecration of the prayer altar on God’s Promise Trail in Inez, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office said Friday.
Chief Deputy Chris Kidd apprehended Brian Keith Robinette, 20, and Alexandria Riddle, 20, both from Wellington, Menifee County, around 1:30 p.m. Friday at the sheriff’s office.
The incident occurred June 7 along the scenic trail.
Robinette faces charges of desecration of venerated objects, willfully setting fire on land he does not own, and criminal trespassing. Riddle’s charges include complicity in the first two offenses and criminal trespassing. Their arrest follows Deputy Kidd’s earlier apprehension of Devin Morris, 24, of Inez, on July 15, who faces the same charges as Robinette.
Video captured the suspects setting the fire on the altar. One suspect climbed a radio tower, dismantled a Martin County 911 Dispatch camera recording the incident, and threw the camera down a hill.
During the investigation, Deputy Kidd discovered that Robinette and Riddle were related to Morris and had visited Inez to spend time with him.
“I was able to identify and contact them,” Kidd said. “I basically asked them to come in and speak with me and conducted a video interview.”
Kidd informed the suspects that law enforcement had video surveillance and interviews implicating their involvement. “They admitted to their parts,” Kidd stated. “Both advised it was completely alcohol-fueled and that they had consumed several shots of vodka before this took place.”
Robinette confessed to initiating the fire by burning a prayer request on the altar.
“He said Morris then came over and started making the fire bigger,” commented Kidd.
“Riddle is charged with complicity in the crime. She was involved and encouraged and egged the male perpetrators on,” Kidd added. “She said that, jokingly, she told Morris to climb the radio tower.”
Kidd believes the suspects were forthcoming during the interview.
“They understand the repercussions now,” he said. “They understand the charges that they’re facing and that the possible penalties in this situation are severe. Both advised me that they were very remorseful and sorry for what they did.”
In videos, Morris approaches the tower before dusk, shouting expletives. Another video shows him approaching the tower again after dusk as the fire burns on the altar where Robinette and Riddle stand. Morris later admitted the trio had driven to the location and consumed alcohol. He said he believed the camera was non-functional.
“He admitted that he tore the camera down and threw it over the hill,” Sheriff John Kirk said following Morris’ arrest.
Mentioning the trail’s value to the community, the sheriff condemned the act as disrespectful and unacceptable. “We’re going to prosecute these people to the fullest extent of the law,” he said. “Hopefully, the court system will give them about 500 hours of community service, and they can go up there and pay their debt to society for what they’ve done.”
The mile-long God’s Promise Trail, starting at the Collier Community Center, is a scenic and spiritual walking path that runs parallel to and intersects the Kingfisher Trail. The trail features 180 wooden steps up the steep hillside, workout activity centers and rest areas. Along the way are scenic views, native flora, inspirational messages and Bible verses. A small church-style gazebo, a historic schoolhouse, a picnic shelter and an altar with a prayer box are located at the top of the hill.
The trail was inspired by the late Lillian Davis Bowman, a longtime Martin County school teacher who fought cancer. Her family helped realize her vision posthumously.