Not guilty plea for Clark Co. man accused in deadly apartment fire

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – The attorney for Jackie Hisle, the man accused of starting a fire at a Winchester apartment complex that left three dead, entered a not guilty plea for his client at an arraignment in Clark Co. on Thursday.

Hisle’s 36-year-old son, Donald Hisle, and 29-year-old Tina Reynolds died of smoke inhalation in the March 11 fire. Another woman, 71-year-old Dixie Everman, died of smoke inhalation and blunt-force trauma after she jumped from a second-story window.

A detective has testified that Jackie Hisle was smoking a cigarette near an oxygen machine that had warning labels saying that no smoking was to occur near it.

Hisle’s attorney also asked for his bond, currently set at 1 million dollars, to be reduced.  The judge in the case says she will rule on it in the “very near future.”

A pre-trial conference is scheduled for July 7th.