By Samantha Swindler / Managing Editor

Fred Martin Jr. erected an eight-foot tall and more than 50-foot wide sign proclaiming how three young men burned down his house — now the boys’ mothers have a message of their own: “leave them alone.”

Debbie Smith, mother of 22-year-old Jamie Carman, and her sister Tonya Brown, mother of 25-year-old Josh Lawson, say Martin has taken things too far.

“They’re paying for what they done,” Debbie said of their children. “They are paying a high price, they are our children and we see what they are going through... and if the man don’t stop, he’s messing with God. God gave them what He thought they ought to have.

“If the Lord wanted them to have more time, they would have got it.”

Justin Messer, Joshua Lawson and Jamie Carman — all cousins of varying degree — were convicted in the burglary and burning of Martin’s century-old home.

Originally, the three men were indicted on charges of first-degree burglary, two counts of theft by unlawful taking over $300, theft of a firearm and first-degree arson. Lawson and Messer, who pleaded guilty in October to third-degree burglary and theft of a firearm, were sentenced to five years each. Carman also pleaded guilty to second-degree burglary and third-degree arson, but had an additional guilty plea to third-degree arson and first-degree criminal mischief for setting fire to the Safeco Coal building in Knox County in January. Carman was sentenced to nine years for both crimes.

Last Saturday evening, Tonya received a phone call from the mother of Joshua Lawson’s child, who said, “I think you need to take a ride up in Arkle Hollow, you need to see what’s up there.”

There, she found Martin and his makeshift billboard, which proclaims, in part, “Justice was NOT served.”

“They only got 5 years,” Martin’s sign reads. “I was born in this house. This house was at least 115 yrs old and a landmark. Three burned it down and the Common Wealth Attorney let them get away with it!”

After learning about Martin’s wall, both mothers said their sons “want to see an attorney” about possible legal action against Martin.

“You know, what he does to our children, he does to us regardless,” Debbie said. “They are our children and I don’t uphold for anything that has happened, but what’s happened has happened, it’s over and done with it... they’re going to have to pay for the house and I think he ought to just let things go. And they are paying a high price. I know mine is.”

With tears in her eyes, Debbie said she thought the plea agreement was fair for the crime.

“I know to him five years don’t sound like a lot, but to them it is. My boy turned 22 in July,” she said. “They are young boys, and we pay, as a family, we pay the price too, and I think enough is enough, and I think he needs to go on with his life and leave us alone.”

Martin came back to Knox County this week to speak at Lawson’s parole hearing and erect the wall. Tonya said she later learned that her son was denied parole and won’t be before the parole board again for 18 months.

Tonya said their children were “good boys” who “let drugs take over their lives.”

The mothers said their sons are taking substance abuse programs in prison. Debbie said her son is “wanting to take some college classes in there, he wants to get a job when he gets out... he’s mentioned wanting to move away (from Knox County).”

Martin said in an earlier interview he simply hopes to get “publicity” from his sign, which points out that the men would have faced substantially longer jail time if they had been convicted of first-degree arson.

“I understand his part,” Tonya said. “He lost things, and that’s understandable that he’s angry, but your anger can only go so far. He needs to let go.”

“Give them another chance,” Debbie added. “We all make mistakes. If God’s willing to forgive them, I think man ought to, too.”