Man jailed, formally charged with arson in 2005 fire at Twigs floral shop

Authorities this week jailed and formally charged a 37-year-old man with setting fire to an east Wichita floral and gift shop more than 10 years ago.

Prosecutors filed their case against Jason Stever in 2010 after authorities announced that he was wanted for igniting the blaze that burned down Twigs, 2601 E. Douglas, on Dec. 28, 2005. Stever was booked into Sedgwick County Jail at 3:40 p.m. Tuesday. He was captured in San Diego, Calif., where he now lives, and returned to Kansas to face an arson charge in the case, jail records show.

Stever made his first appearance in Sedgwick County District Court via a video link from where he’s being held in the Sedgwick County Jail on Wednesday afternoon. He looked slightly different than the mugshot on his 2010 wanted poster, sporting a full beard, less hair and an orange jail jumpsuit.

District Judge Jeffrey Goering told advised Stever of the charge filed against him – one count of arson, which is a felony – and set his bond at $50,000. Stever said little more than “yes” and “thank you” in response to the judge’s statements.

Stever will be represented by a court-appointed defense attorney. He is next due in court April 27.

The motive behind the arson fire wasn’t immediately made public. But Stever’s arrest warrant and his prosecution helped clear Twigs owner Iven Kelley, who some initially suspected of setting the blaze because he owed $200,000 in back taxes. Kelley in 2011 closed down another incarnation of Twigs that opened after the arson fire and announced that he was moving to Mexico to retire. He said in a 2009 interview with The Eagle that all of his taxes due had been paid.

The fire at Twigs caused more than a half million dollars in damage. The shop was located on Douglas and Green next to Moler’s Camera at the time.

This story was originally published April 14, 2016 at 6:22 AM with the headline "Man jailed, formally charged with arson in 2005 fire at Twigs floral shop."