Augustine v. Commonwealth

In a bench trial, Sarah Virginia Augustine was convicted of arson, burglary, and grand larceny. The sole issue on appeal is whether the evidence is sufficient to support the arson conviction. *

On June 9, 1981, at 8:45 p.m., Robert and Vera Keyser left their home in the City of Suffolk. They returned at 10:45 p.m. to discover a fire in a bedroom. The fire was confined to the portion of the room where the bed was located, and the bed and the area beneath it were almost completely destroyed.

After extinguishing the fire, the Keysers discovered the front door of their home had been “kicked in” and…