Charleston Judge Rejects Bond Adjustment
A Kanawha County judge denied a motion for a bond reduction Thursday for 22-year-old Dakota Harper, keeping the defendant held on a $20,000 cash-only bond with home confinement required, wchstv.com reported. The decision arrives roughly a month after a September 27 fire destroyed an abandoned home and heavily damaged a nearby church, setting off a legal battle complicated by the defendants’ prior social media following.
Defense Seeks Bond Change for Inpatient Recovery
Attorney Michael Carey argued in court that adjusting Harper’s $20,000 cash bond to include a surety or property would allow his client to enter a long-term inpatient recovery facility in Parkersburg called Recovery Point.
Carey told the court that relocating Harper to Parkersburg would remove him from a Charleston environment that is actively detrimental to his well-being, specifically pointing to individuals attempting to use his social media presence to increase their online marketplace visibility.
State Flags Flight Risks and Surveillance Evidence
Prosecutors pushed back against the relocation plan, arguing that monitoring Harper in Parkersburg would prove difficult and classifying him as a flight risk. The state’s attorney questioned the security measures of the proposed arrangement, noting that nothing would prevent Harper from simply walking out or removing a monitoring bracelet.
Beyond the flight risk arguments, the prosecutor’s office anchored its objection in the severity of the alleged offenses and the tangible property damage left behind. Surveillance footage obtained during the investigation places Harper and 22-year-0ld co-defendant Felicity Eatmon at the scene.
Arson Charges Follow Fire at Abandoned Residence
Investigators stated that the video shows Eatmon handing Harper a piece of paper, which was then ignited and placed inside the abandoned residence located in the 400 block of Maryland Avenue. The complaint details that both individuals partially entered the structure as the flames intensified before Eatmon left the area, with Harper moving out of the camera’s field of view.
The resulting blaze caused more than $10,000 in estimated damage to the adjacent Canaan United Methodist Church. Harper and Eatmon face charges of first-degree arson and conspiracy to commit arson.
Harper and Eatmon Face Different Bond Amounts
Following initial arrests days after the fire, Harper’s bond was first set at $10,000 before being elevated to $20,000. Eatmon remains held on a separate $10,000 bond as legal proceedings continue.
