State claims Bohling's fixation on getting even led to barn fire at chicken farm

TECUMSEH – The arson f trial of a Tecumseh woman started Tuesday at the community building, where a jury was selected and lawyers described a case involving a barn fire that killed over 20,000 chickens.

Prosecutors say 54-year-old Kimberly Bohling caused the fire after she was fired by Tecumseh Poultry, but defense attorney Steven Lefler said while there is no physical evidence placing Bohling on the property, there is evidence to show that moving about the farm undetected, tampering with controls to cause a fire and disabling the fire alarm system are too complex for Bohling.

Lefler told the jury that it is true that Bohling was upset because she believed a romantic relationship was developing between a Tecumseh Poultry manager and an employee. The state says it motivated her to criminal action.

 

State: “Ms. Bohling throughout this process was fixated. She was fixated at getting even. She felt wronged. She gets fired. They are having an affair they never get fired.”

The state says tire tracks at the chicken farm match tread of Bohling’s vehicle and say investigators noticed that she wrote the word fire on April 5 of her home calendar, which corresponds to the day the fire occurred.

Lefler said Bohling is incapable of understanding the complexities of shutting down the alarm system, even if she had the passcodes. He said experts are not sure what caused the fire, but said investigators were led from the start by management’s insistence that somehow it must have been Bohling.

The state dismissed burglary charges prior to trial. She is accused of arson, criminal mischief and mistreatment of livestock.