HARRISBURG – The man accused of setting fire to the Governor’s Mansion in Harrisburg has waived a preliminary hearing. Cody Balmer waived his hearing scheduled for Wednesday, September 3 before a judge. The Court of Common Pleas accepted the waiver and scheduled formal arraignment for October 3, 2025. The defendant also waived his appearance at formal arraignment, but that date will trigger the provision of discovery under the Rules of Criminal Procedure. The charges waived include attempted murder, aggravated arson, terrorism, and recklessly endangering another person. The District Attorney amended the complaint so that it includes 22 counts of arson and 22 counts of reckless endangerment pursuant to case law. The criminal complaint charges the presence of 22 victims inside the Governor’s Residence at the time that the fire was set.
CODY BALMER