A Texas woman has pleaded guilty to burning down a church on Aug.25, 2023, in Washington while she was visiting her family. Natasha Marie O’Dell set fire to the Seattle Laestadian Lutheran Church.
This resulted in damages of $3.2 million and left the building in an irreparable condition. The total cost of the damage also includes the cost of holding services in a school nearby. She was arrested in 2024 after burning down the church in Maltby.
The woman pleaded guilty to damage to the religious building, arson and obstructing the free exercise of religious beliefs. Before committing the crime, she was angry at churches and decided to act on her emotions.
Her crime is ‘devastating’ and ‘dangerous’ as concluded by the US District Judge Jamal Whitehead. He stated, ‘Ms. O’Dell deliberately set fire to a church, causing complete destruction. The scope of the destruction is staggering.’
38-year-old Natasha Marie O’Dell from Temple, Texas, was sentenced to six years in prison for setting fire to a Washington church.
Prosecutors said O’Dell was angry at churches and was visiting family in Washington when the 2023 fire happened.
The fire caused an estimate $3.2… pic.twitter.com/N92CXO1Qgr
— Alec Nolan (@AlecOnFOX7) September 7, 2025
He further added that she burned down the spiritual home of the congregation, causing deep wounds to the people. The church had been there for 40 years and was now destroyed by the hate act.
While putting out the fire, a firefighter was also injured. US Attorney Teal Luthy Miller added that she used more than a gallon of gasoline to burn down the church with a lighter. She showed extreme disregard for the community’s safety.
Many neighbors and those who were present at the church were at risk of getting hurt. He added, ‘It is fortunate that only one firefighter suffered injuries.’
In 2023, @ATF_Seattle investigated an arson at the Seattle Laestadian Lutheran Church.
In April, Natasha O’Dell pled guilty to Arson, Damage to Religious Property, and Obstruction of Persons in the Free Exercise of Religion. Today, she was sentenced to 6 yrs in federal prison⬇️ pic.twitter.com/QjCW6dlZ8c— ATF Seattle (@ATF_Seattle) September 4, 2025
The video surveillance from that day shows she was moving around the church with a red container, pouring gasoline. She empties the container on the outer walls of the building.
Another piece of evidence was her cell phone and credit card records, adding to the arson charge. She bought the gasoline at a service station, and then she Ubered to the church to cause this chaos.
She was vocal about her hate towards the church and had told several acquaintances about her plan. Moreover, she mentioned which church she was going to burn. Apart from six years jail time, O-Dell owes restitution, which will be determined in a different hearing.
