WATERVILLE — A man charged in connection with a Waterville house fire has entered a guilty plea under an agreement that allows him to maintain his innocence while acknowledging the strength of the state’s case.
Kurtis Ryan Couch, 34, pleaded guilty by way of an Alford plea Jan. 26, in Le Sueur County District Court to one count of second-degree arson stemming from a 2021 fire at his residence in Waterville, according to prosecutor Jason Moran.
Court records show original charges of two counts of first-degree arson, second-degree arson and possession of illegal fireworks.
The charges arise from a midday fire on July 18, 2021, at Couch’s home. As part of the Alford plea, Couch acknowledged the evidence against him included 134 exhibits and that a jury would be substantially likely to convict him, while not admitting guilt, court documents show.
With the fire investigated by the State Fire Marshal, Whitemore Fire Consultants, Onsite Engineering and the Le Sueur County Sheriff’s Office, it was determined Couch was the only person at the residence at the time of the fire and he had been on the phone with his significant other shortly before and during the incident. Despite Couch having a cellphone on him, investigators found that he asked other people to call 911 to report the fire.
Investigators identified two areas of origin on the main level of the home. One was at the top of a stairway leading to the basement, where an irregular burn pattern was consistent with a liquid being poured down the stairs. A second area of origin was near an illegal firework. Testing of evidence collected at the top of the stairs showed the presence of a flammable material, according to Moran.
Authorities also found Couch had an assortment of illegal fireworks in the home and the residence had been the subject of a 2017 insurance claim and was undergoing renovations at the time of the fire. The investigation revealed Couch sent text messages the night before the fire expressing dissatisfaction with the home and that he photographed the contents of the basement on the day of the fire.
He is scheduled to be sentenced May 12.