This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
A man hired to renovate a Payson theatre allegedly torched his employer's home last year after the project came to a halt.
Shawn Balzly, 44, was charged Wednesday in 4th District Court with aggravated arson, a first-degree felony, and obstructing justice, a second-degree felony for the May 2013 fire.
Balzly had been hired by Gordon Taylor, a former Payson mayor, to help restore the historic Huish Theater across the street from Taylor's home, at 54 N. 100 West.
Taylor had promised his wife, Karen, that he would resurrect the theater, according to the Daily Herald in Provo.
"Karen had a vision of making the Huish the epicenter of performance art at the south end of Utah County and the tiny neighboring communities," the Provo paper reported in 2010. But she died two days after Valentine's Day that year.
Her passing firmed up Taylor's resolve, and he called in "decades of favors" to see her vision through, according to the Daily Herald.
But at some point, Taylor's daughter gained control of his finances and stopped paying for the project "as there were no funds," according to the charges.
This, in part, led to a heated argument between Taylor and Balzly on May 31, 2013, after Balzly nailed shut the theater doors. Taylor told Balzly, was living with him at the time, to pack his bags and leave.
That evening, a fire erupted at Taylor's home, causing more than $500,000 in damage. At the time, Payson Fire Inspector Terry Reilly described the damage as "very extensive."
Fire investigators determined the fire was set intentionally, and sent samples from the scene to the state crime lab. The lab's tests came back positive for partially evaporated gasoline, according to the charges.
"On the day of the fire, Shawn Balzly was seen carrying two gas cans from Crest General Store to Dr. Taylor's home," the charges state.
Balzly was the last one home that day and "admitted being there at the time of fire," according to the charges. However, he made several false statements about the fire's cause and origin, the charges add.
Police issued a warrant for his arrest Wednesday. He is currently living out of state with no known address, according to the charges. His bail is set at $25,000 cash-only.
Balzly's criminal record in Utah is limited to a handful of misdemeanors from more than a decade ago, including convictions for disorderly conduct, criminal mischief and intoxication.
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