Prison for arsonist

OXFORD COUNTY - Robert Conrad, 35, of Paris, who pled "guilty" to burning an elderly man's home, is going to state prison.

He has been sentenced to 10 years, with all but 18 months suspended. However, after the year-and-a-half behind bars, he will have to serve four years of probation, during which all or part of the entire sentence could be reactivated. A condition of the probation will be paying $7,500 reimbursement to the victims' fund.

Conrad entered the plea in Oxford County Superior Court last week, for the March, 2007, fire that destroyed the home of  Norway Selectman Robert "Bobby" Walker, who was, at the time, residing at a nursing home while recovering from a stroke.

Conrad's arrest came this June, more than three years after the fire at Walker's Country Club Road home. While Fire Marshal's Sergeant Joel Davis and Investigator Daniel Young, with Oxford Fire Chief Scott Hunter and Oxford police, were investigating a fire that was set at a home on Jenny Lane, Oxford, Conrad's name came up, and a connection was made with the Walker fire. He had been a person of interest to the Norway police after the earlier arson. It wasn't until the more recent fire that a witness confirmed the officers' earlier suspicions, and said the Walker fire was set in revenge after Conrad broke up with Walker's daughter.

Walker, who is retired from a long career as a NASCAR announcer, lost a large quantity of memorabilia from his years of involvement in the sport. Not all of the items in his collection were accounted for after the fire. Very similar items were found in Conrad's possession, but no charges of theft have been brought to date, nor have more recent charges resulted from the Oxford incident.