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A Texas woman received a six-year prison sentence for her involvement in a 2023 church arson in Washington state, as reported by federal prosecutors.
Natasha Marie O’Dell, 38, was sentenced on Thursday for three felonies related to setting fire to the Seattle Laestadian Lutheran Church in Snohomish County, located in Washington. This announcement was made by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
O’Dell pleaded guilty earlier this year to arson, damage to religious property and obstruction of persons in the free exercise of religious beliefs.
“This offense was devastating and dangerous,” stated U.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead during the sentencing on Thursday. “Ms. O’Dell deliberately set fire to a church, resulting in its complete destruction.”
Part of the church’s security system managed to survive the fire, capturing footage of the woman carrying a gasoline container and moving through the premises.
The fire caused damages exceeding $3.2 million to the church, leading to additional expenses as the church now rents a nearby middle school for its frequent services.
A firefighter was injured while fighting the flames and was transported to an emergency room.
“Ms. O’Dell acted with extreme disregard for community safety by pouring over a gallon of gasoline on the church and igniting it,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller in a statement. “This behavior endangered everyone inside the church, the nearby residents, and the firefighters who responded. Luckily, only one firefighter sustained injuries.”
