A Marshall woman accused of an arson in May was sentenced to spend time in state prison after a court proceeding this week.
Online court documents say Tammy Jo Leonhardt was charged with Class D Felonies for Second-Degree Arson and Burglary and misdemeanors for stealing and property damage.
A probable-cause statement says Leonhardt was seen on surveillance video using a hammer to access a cash register at the Lighthouse Shelter Thrift Store in Marshall on May 23. Leonhardt reportedly admitted to stealing money and returning to the business to disable the cameras. However, she said she couldn’t disable them, so she started a fire inside a closet.
Online court documents say Leonhardt entered a plea of not guilty during her arraignment hearing on June 25.
During a court proceeding on Monday, July 23, Leonhardt withdrew her original plea and entered a plea of guilty as charged. The court then sentence Leonhardt to seven years for each of the felony charges and 180 days for the property damage misdemeanor with the sentences to run concurrently.
Leonhardt was remanded into the custody of the Saline County Sheriff’s Office for delivery to the Missouri Department of Corrections.