A fatal fire case has apparently moved from the local Riley county attorney’s jurisdiction to the U-S Attorney’s office in Kansas. That was the word with an announcement made by U-S Attorney Barry Grissm at a news conference in Riley County Attorney Barry Wilkerson’s office in Manhattan Thursday morning.
Two Kansas State University students have been indicted in connection with the case– Patrick Scahill, 20, and Virginia Griese, 19, have been implicated in the fatal fire, which took the life of Vasanta Pallem, 34, a postdoctoral researcher in chemical engineering at Kansas State.
KMAN news first told you of the fire February seventh.
At the news conference Thursday it was revealed that the two suspects poured gasoline down the length of the hallway and then intentionally set it on fire.
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A news release from U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom Wednesday afternoon indicates Grissom will be announcing criminal charges
at a news Conference Thursday n Manhattan.
Grissom is holding the news conference at 10 a.m. Thursday to announce criminal charges at the Riley County Attorney’s Office in Manhattan.
Taking part in the news conference along with Grissom will be Riley County Attorney Barry Wilkerson and Marino Vidoli, Special Agent in Charge with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, as well as representatives of other law enforcement agencies.