HOULTON – A Houlton man charged more than two years ago with setting a fire that annihilated a 137-year-old landmark, destroyed three businesses and left two people homeless has been found not guilty of the crime by reason of mental defect or disease.

The judgment on Mark Antworth, 42, was handed down late last week, according to his attorney, Jeff Pickering. Pickering said earlier this week that his client will be remanded to the custody of the Department of Behavioral and Developmental Services and speculated that he would be moved to a mental health facility in the near future.

Antworth was arrested shortly after the Nov. 20, 2002, fire and has been in the Aroostook County Jail ever since. He initially entered a not guilty plea to the Class A felony when he appeared in Superior Court in January 2003.

Antworth entered a transposed plea of not guilty by reason of mental defect or disease last December when appearing before Superior Court Justice E. Allen Hunter.

The new plea paved the way for the court to review several psychological exams that have been conducted on the 42-year-old.

It was shortly before 1:15 a.m. in 2002 that the fire sparked in the building, which sat at the mouth of Market Square. Moments later, the blaze was discovered by former Houlton police Officer Matthew Quint, who helped identify the suspect and assisted in evacuating the building. The officer was first on the scene and spoke with Antworth, who was lingering about 60 feet from the flaming structure. Quint knew the man and asked him if he saw the fire. Antworth reportedly replied, “What fire?” and left the area.

Rebecca Donahue, a resident in one of the destroyed apartments, also claimed to have seen a man matching Antworth’s description inside the structure just before the building was engulfed in flames. Shortly afterward, police uncovered a blue Wal-Mart bag near the door of the building, along with a metal can that once contained camp fuel. A receipt from the Houlton store was in the bag, indicating the fuel had been purchased there. After police viewed security tapes at the local Wal-Mart and saw Antworth making the purchase, he was arrested.

Donald Goodrich, the building’s owner, had no insurance.

After the fire, officials from the Environmental Protection Agency took responsibility for cleaning up the site, which was riddled with asbestos from the building’s siding. The EPA shelled out more than $200,000 to clear away 100 cubic yards of charred remains.

While incarcerated, Antworth has been receiving mental health services and has undergone forensic analysis in Augusta.

Pickering expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision.

“I am happy that Mr. Antworth is going to get the mental health care that he needs,” he said. “I think the court saw that prison would not have been the right place for him. … He has issues that cannot be addressed in that type of setting.”

Pickering was not certain if the judgment would be appealed.

Aroostook County Assistant District Attorney Suzanne Lilley could not be reached for comment on the case Friday.

Town officials hope to turn the plot of land where the eminent Market Square building once sat into a park.