Man pleads guilty to setting fire to house with dead friend’s body inside

Feb. 16--WILKES-BARRE -- A man accused of setting fire to a house where his friend's body was later found pleaded guilty Thursday to a single felony count of arson.

Kyle Robert Shaw Jr., 24, of Wilkes-Barre, entered his plea before Luzerne County Judge Joseph F. Sklarosky Jr., who set sentencing for March 23.

Shaw was accused of setting the blaze at 16 Prospect St. shortly after 6 p.m. Aug. 7. After dousing the flames, firefighters found the body of 31-year-old Jack Sipple on a bed in a second-floor room.

An autopsy determined Sipple died of a gunshot. As of Thursday, the Luzerne County Coroner's Office said it still has not yet reached a determination on whether he committed suicide or was murdered.

Shaw was never charged in relation to the death.

After fleeing the scene of the fire in a red minivan and nearly side-swiping another vehicle, he went to his ex-girlfriend's home on Company Row, claiming Sipple had killed himself.

Shaw threatened occupants of that home before taking off once more, hitting his ex-girlfriend's vehicle in the process, according to prosecutors.

Rice Township police arrested Shaw, who had scratches on his forehead, without incident later that night.

He has been held at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility with bail set at $200,000 since his arrest.

As part of his sentence, Shaw will be required to pay $92,400 to Allstate insurance, as well as $7,800 to Pennsylvania State Police for investigative costs and $1,000 to Sipple's wife, Tami Sipple.

jhalpin@citizensvoice.com

570-821-2058, @cvjimhalpin

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