PORT TOWNSEND — A visiting Clallam County Superior Court judge has dismissed felony charges against two teenagers in an accidental fire that destroyed Aldrich’s grocery store in 2003.
The dismissal order, in a motion made by Jefferson County Prosecutor Juelie Dalzell and signed by Clallam Judge Ken Williams, came after Aldrich’s owners, Jonathon Ryweck and David Hamilton, appealed to Dalzell in a Sept. 28 letter.
“While there is no doubt that what they did was foolish and irresponsible, we have become convinced that it was not intentional,” the store owners wrote.
“Enough pain has been borne by all involved, and these kids’ lives have been turned upside down about as much as ours have.
“It’s time for the community to come together, heal the wounds from this tragedy and move on.”
Attempts to contact Ryweck and Hamilton on Tuesday were unsuccessful.
It was unknown Tuesday whether the store owners are still pursuing a civil lawsuit against the families of the youths in connection with the case.
The civil suit, filed earlier this year, was moved to Kitsap County after the former defense attorney for one of the three youths, Craddock Verser, was elevated to the Jefferson County Superior Court bench.
Verser represented a boy who was granted immunity in the case.
The PDN does not identify juveniles involved in criminal court cases unless they are tried as adults.
On the morning of Aug. 4, 2003, stunned residents watched as firefighters fought unsuccessfully to save Aldrich’s Grocery, which was engulfed in flames.
The store had stood at the corner of Lawrence and Tyler Street for 114 years and was believed to be the oldest continuously operating grocery in the state.
The fire was caused by burning embers left in a newspaper recycling bin, investigators concluded. The three teens had been at the bin earlier that morning.
A new multimillion-dollar grocery store and condominium complex is now being built on the site by Ryweck and Hamilton.
