Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Convicted Accomack Arsonist Tonya Bundick Has Trial Date Set

ACCOMACK COUNTY, Va.- Convicted Accomack County arsonist Tonya S. Bundick will stand trial in July on one of the 62 additional arson charges filed against her.

The jury trial for Bundick will be held Monday, July 14, in Virginia Beach. This will be the first of a possible 62 trials held for Bundick, after a judge last month approved her request to have separate trials for the additional arson counts. Bundick will be arraigned on the 62 additional charges this Friday. 

Accomack County Commonwealth Attorney Gary Agar had requested all of those 62 additional charges be bundled into one trial. However, a judge denied the Agar's request, clearing the way for separate trials.


Bndick, of Parksley, was indicted by a grand jury for an arson spree that occurred between November 2012 and April 2013 in Accomack County. 

In January, Bundick entered an Alford plea in court for one count of arson and one count of conspiracy to commit arson in connection with an April 2013 fire that occurred in Melfa. A sentencing date for those two charges has not yet been set. 

Bundick's fiancé Charlie Smith, who was accused of setting a majority of the 77 fires during the four-month arson spree, pleaded guilty in October 2013 to 67 counts of arson and one count of conspiracy to commit arson. A sentencing date also has not yet been set for him.

Bundick's attorney Allan Zaleski said the additional 62 trials for Bundick will boil down to his client's word going against Smith's word. Zaleski believes Bundick will have a better chance in front of a jury on individual counts rather than if all her charges are tried together at one time.


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