Jonathan Wilson

An arrest has been made following a Westfield camper fire over the summer where a Ripley woman was found dead.

On Wednesday, an indictment was unsealed charging 40-year-old Jonathan Wilson with second-degree murder, third-degree arson and aggravated cruelty to animals.

The first count in the indictment alleges that on Aug. 6 Wilson shot 43-year-old Alice Waters in the head with a rifle, causing her to die.

The second count alleges that on Aug. 6, Wilson intentionally damaged a camper located in the area of 7984 McKinley Road, Westfield by starting a fire or causing an explosion.

The third count alleges that when he set the camper on fire, he knew that there was a dog inside, which was owned by Waters, and perished in the blaze.

Chautauqua County District Attorney Jason Schmidt said the dog’s body was found lying on top of Water’s body.

The Sheriff’s Office initially announced in early August that Waters had died in the fire, which occurred around 12:45 p.m. that day. The camper and a small structure on the property were destroyed.

The fire was not publicly labeled suspicious, but deputies said at the time the investigation was continuing.

Along with the Sheriff’s Office, responding to the fire were the Westfield Police Department, Westfield Fire Department, Portland Fire Department, Brocton Fire Department, North Lake Fire Department and Chautauqua County Emergency Services.

Schmidt said Wilson and Waters were romantically involved.

Wilson was from Nebraska and moved to Westfield about two years ago, where he lived in the camper with his mother. She apparently was not living there when Waters was shot and killed.

On Wednesday, County Court Judge David Foley ordered Wilson be remanded without bail.

Schmidt said that although Wilson was indicted Wednesday, he had been in the county jail since the day of the fire.

He was taken into custody that day by police after a vehicle he was in drove away from a police vehicle at a high rate of speed.

Wilson had previously been arrested in both Sheridan and Westfield but failed to appear in either court.

Because of these incidents, Schdmidt said his office was able to work with the court to keep him in custody as they investigated Waters’ death.

In the Westfield arrest, on Jan. 22, at approximately 5 p.m., the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from other law enforcement agencies, responded to a reported altercation involving a weapon at a residence on McKinley Road in the Town of Westfield.

Upon arrival, authorities learned that Wilson had allegedly threatened others with a weapon and barricaded himself inside the residence. Deputies initiated verbal communication with Wilson, successfully de-escalating the situation. He complied with law enforcement commands and exited the home without further incident.

Following an investigation, Wilson was charged with second-degree menacing and second-degree unlawful imprisonment.

While in custody, Wilson allegedly tried to escape, which added an additional charge.

Schmidt thanked the many members of law enforcement for their hard work on the case, including continuing the investigation after Wilson had been taken into custody.

A discovery conference on the case is set for Oct. 31.