Lucas G. Henson, Arson, Assault, Missouri 2023

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Missouri – A Missouri man has been sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison for setting fires in the Mark Twain National Forest and assaulting a U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officer.

Lucas G. Henson, 37, of Iron County, Missouri, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Wednesday.

Henson was also ordered to pay the U.S. Forest Service approximately $7,200 for the cost of fighting the fires he set.

The case against Henson began on October 22, 2022, when he stole a Ford van near Poplar Bluff, Missouri. He later stole a Dodge pickup truck and burglarized a home, taking a Ruger LC9 9mm handgun and a crossbow.

When the truck’s owner confronted Henson, he pointed the pistol at the owner and drove away. Law enforcement officers joined the chase, and Henson eventually crashed the truck in the Mark Twain National Forest.

Henson started a fire and burned the handgun and items he had stolen from a camper before fleeing into the forest. He was tracked by dogs and set multiple fires to evade capture, including one that burned 7.61 acres of land. The fires were difficult to contain due to dry and windy conditions.

Henson was eventually caught near the Black River and pleaded guilty in March to assaulting a law enforcement officer, arson, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The case was investigated by the U.S. Forest Service, the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Shelton prosecuted the case.

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