A Texas woman has been sentenced to six years in prison for setting fire to the Seattle Laestadian Lutheran Church (SLLC) in Snohomish County, Washington. Natasha Marie O’Dell, 38, from Temple, Texas, received her sentence in U.S. District Court in Seattle after pleading guilty to arson, damage to religious property, and obstruction of persons in the free exercise of religious beliefs.
O’Dell was arrested in Texas in August 2024 and pleaded guilty in April 2025. At sentencing, U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead stated: “This offense was devastating and dangerous. Ms. O’Dell deliberately set fire to a church causing complete destruction. … The scope of the destruction is staggering. You burned down the spiritual home of a congregation. … The wounds you have inflicted deepen for each day they are away from their home.”
Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller commented on the risks involved: “Ms. O’Dell acted with extreme disregard for community safety when she poured more than a gallon of gasoline on the church building and used a lighter to start the blaze,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Miller. “This conduct put anyone inside the church, the neighbors around the church, and the firefighters who responded in extreme danger. It is fortunate that only one firefighter suffered injuries.”
Investigators linked O’Dell to the fire through cell phone records, credit card transactions, and surveillance footage showing her at the Maltby church on August 25, 2023. She was visiting relatives in Woodinville at the time.
Although much of the security system was destroyed by fire, some video survived showing O’Dell carrying a red gasoline container around the church and pouring it on exterior walls and nearby items before igniting it off-camera.
Authorities also confirmed that O’Dell bought gasoline and lighters from a local service station using her credit card before taking an Uber ride to commit arson at SLLC.
According to court documents, O’Dell told acquaintances she was angry about churches generally and SLLC specifically; she later indicated plans to burn another nearby church.
One firefighter sustained injuries during efforts to extinguish the blaze and required hospital treatment.
The arson resulted in over $3.2 million in damages to SLLC’s property. The congregation has incurred further expenses by renting space at a nearby middle school for services several times per week while their facility is rebuilt.
Restitution owed by O’Dell will be determined at a future hearing by Judge Whitehead.
The investigation was led by Snohomish County Fire Marshall’s Office and ATF agents; prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.
