FRANKFORT, KY – A man from Kentucky is facing serious charges after being accused of intentionally setting his home on fire, leading to the tragic deaths of his teenage sons.
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the arrest of Dustin Fields, 43, following a fire that ravaged his Frankfort residence last week. His two sons, aged 13 and 15, perished in the blaze. Fields is accused of using accelerants to ignite the fire, according to investigators.
A police canine from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives detected accelerants on Fields’ shoes and at the location where the boys’ bodies were discovered, reinforcing the arson charges against him. The investigation is ongoing, and additional charges may be filed.
Authorities informed that the family dog was also found dead in the aftermath of the fire. Autopsies for the boys and the pet have been conducted to gather more evidence.
Complicating matters, a GoFundMe campaign run by an acquaintance of Fields’ wife highlights a tough domestic situation. The campaign details an apparent pattern of domestic violence beginning in late 2024.
In March, Fields’ wife, who is the stepmother to the boys and has a child with Fields, reportedly sought an emergency protective order against him, but court proceedings were delayed due to various factors. A court hearing was eventually scheduled for early May.
During a virtual court proceeding, Fields entered a plea of not guilty to the arson charge. The court set his bail at $2 million. Fields expressed a desire to attend his sons’ funerals, but any furlough would require separate legal motions.
The case is set to return to court on May 13, as legal proceedings against Fields continue. The community is still processing the loss and grappling with the details surrounding the fire that claimed young lives.