Twin brothers Caleb and Joshua Bledsoe are accused of trying to kill their father, but their father doesn't see himself as a victim, saying he will "never abandon" his sons.
The 25-year-olds were arrested after allegedly locking William Bledsoe in his Ellensburg, Wash., home and setting it on fire in the early morning of Monday, Sept. 16, according to ABC News.
The Ellensburg Police Department said in a Facebook post that the elder Bledsoe was evacuated before Kittitas Valley Fire and Rescue arrived, adding:
The fire was eventually brought under control with the initial investigation revealing the presence of improvised explosive devices and evidence the fire had been set. Ellensburg Police Detectives subsequently arrested the brothers and booked them into the Kittitas County Corrections Center on suspicion of Attempted Homicide 1st Degree, Arson 1st Degree and Possession of Improvised Explosive Devices.
William Bledsoe continues to stand by his sons, both of whom worked at the family roofing business, Bledsoe & Sons Gutters and Sheet Metal and lived with him at his Ellensburg home.
“I want you to remember, I am their dad, I am not their victim,” Bledsoe, who was treated for smoke inhalation, told ABC News. “I’m probably not the easiest guy to live with. … I’m not the easiest guy to work with. My boys are my boys and I’ll never abandon them and not support them.” Adding, “I know what they [the court] told me … but I have a hard time believing that."
When arrested, the twins allegedly told officers their 70-year-old father is "difficult to live with and work for" and that was part of their motivation, according to Washington's Daily Record News. On Tuesday, Sept. 17, Caleb and Joshua Bledsoe were ordered to be held on $1 million bail each.
The twins allegedly discussed various ways to kill their father an hour before starting the fire, the Daily Record reported, including shooting him and burying his body in a hole already dug on the property. After the twins allegedly set the fire, Joshua held the door shut while William Bledsoe attempted to get out, according to a statement read by prosecutors in court.