Man alleged to have burned down motorhome Saturday

Posted 4/24/18

Garland M. Melnar, 50, has been charged with a felony count of third-degree arson, as Park County prosecutors allege he burned down the motorhome just north of Powell city limits.

“The fire was apparently retribution for a perceived drug deal …

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Man alleged to have burned down motorhome Saturday

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A Saturday morning fire that claimed a Powell man’s motorhome was no accident, authorities say.

Garland M. Melnar, 50, has been charged with a felony count of third-degree arson, as Park County prosecutors allege he burned down the motorhome just north of Powell city limits.

“The fire was apparently retribution for a perceived drug deal gone bad,” said Lance Mathess, a spokesman for the Park County Sheriff’s Office. Charging documents indicate the case is largely based on the account of one of Melnar’s acquaintances, who told authorities that Melnar admitted to starting the fire.

Circuit Court Judge Bruce Waters set Melnar’s bond at $50,000 cash during a Monday afternoon hearing in Cody.

Deputy Park County Prosecuting Attorney Leda Pojman requested that amount, calling Melnar a danger “to Park County and its citizens as well as law enforcement.” Pojman also said Melnar had past criminal convictions, including burglary, receiving stolen property and assault with injury.

“It’s just bad news, your honor,” Pojman said in making her argument for the $50,000 figure.

Melnar, who described himself in court documents as being transient, declined to argue for a lower bond.

“I don’t think it would make any difference, your honor, but thanks for asking,” he told Waters.

Powell firefighters were called to the burning motorhome around 8 a.m. Saturday in the 900 block of Lane 8H, which doubles as Seventh Street. Ultimately, the Powell Volunteer Fire Department was unable to determine how the fire started, sheriff’s deputy Andy MaGill wrote in an affidavit used in court records.

However, on Sunday, with the help of Powell police, MaGill spoke to a woman who said Melnar showed her the charred shell of the motorhome on Saturday afternoon and “told her that he had burned it down.”

She told authorities that Melnar had been upset with the vehicle’s owner, Stacy Repass of Powell.

According to both the woman and Repass, Melnar had given Repass $100 to buy some methamphetamine. However, according to Repass, another woman had “ripped them off” and not provided any drugs after taking the money.

Melnar, however, “believed that Repass had intentionally ripped him off,” the woman reportedly told deputy MaGill.

The woman also quoted Melnar as saying he would “take that motorhome” and that Repass “will get his.”

The woman recalled Melnar telling her early Saturday morning that, “if anything comes up, I was with you” — explaining that she would be his alibi, MaGill wrote. However, the woman said Melnar was actually gone for several hours that morning, including in the hours before the fire.

The motorhome had been parked behind the apartment complex where Repass’ girlfriend lives and Melnar had reportedly been helping Repass work on it.

Repass, meanwhile, was arrested by the Powell Police Department on an unrelated charge hours before the fire.

Deputy MaGill quotes Repass as saying that he and his girlfriend had gone looking for the woman who’d ripped him off early Saturday morning. However, sometime before 1 a.m., they were pulled over by Powell police for having expired registration. Repass — who is currently on probation — was asked to submit to a drug test and reportedly admitted he would fail, saying he’d used meth within a day or two. He later tested positive for amphetamines and was booked into jail on a new misdemeanor charge of using a controlled substance. Repass pleaded not guilty on Monday afternoon, a trial was set for June 28 and he was released from jail on a signature bond. He told Judge Waters that his savings had been stored in the motorhome.

“So everything I had saved up … was into that, your honor, and it’s gone now,” Repass said.

Charging documents suggest authorities are investigating whether the motorhome may have been set on fire with a blue gas plumber’s torch that the female witness reported seeing in Melnar’s Powell motel room.

“The torch was collected as evidence and will be checked for DNA and/or fingerprints,” deputy MaGill wrote.

In her comments in court, Pojman said that, “I think the lesson learned from this is that drugs, torches and alibis don’t mix.”

A preliminary hearing for the third-degree arson charge against Melnar was tentatively set for Friday morning in Cody.

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