Natasha Marie O’Dell, Arson, Washington 2024

A 38-year-old Temple, Texas, woman has admitted to setting fire to a Snohomish County church, causing millions of dollars in damage.

Natasha Marie O’Dell pleaded guilty to three felonies related to the arson at the Seattle Laestadian Lutheran Church (SLLC) in Maltby, Washington, on August 25, 2023. The church was destroyed in the blaze, but part of the security system video surveillance survived the fire and depicted O’Dell pouring gasoline on the exterior walls and items around the church.

According to the plea agreement and the federal indictment, O’Dell was linked to the fire through cell phone records, credit card records, and surveillance video. Travel records showed that O’Dell was visiting relatives in Woodinville, Washington, at the time of the fire.

O’Dell purchased over a gallon of gasoline and some lighters at an area service station and took an Uber to the church to commit the arson. The fire caused more than $3.2 million in damage and injured one firefighter, who was transported to an emergency room.

The church has incurred additional costs renting a nearby middle school to hold their services two to three times a week. O’Dell admitted to telling various acquaintances that she was angry about churches and specifically with SLLC. She also told another acquaintance that she planned to burn a nearby church.

O’Dell is scheduled for sentencing by U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead on August 7, 2025. The criminal charges she pleaded guilty to include Arson, Damage to Religious Property, and Obstruction of Persons in the Free Exercise of Religious Beliefs. Arson is punishable by a mandatory minimum five years in prison and up to twenty years in prison, while Damage to Religious Property and Obstruction of Persons in the Free Exercise of Religious Beliefs are punishable by up to 40 years in prison.

The case was investigated by the Snohomish County Fire Marshall’s Office and the Bureau of Tobacco, Alcohol, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). O’Dell has been in custody since her arrest in Texas in August 2024.

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