A Marshall woman charged with a felony after firefighters doused a blaze on July 11 is due in court.

A Marshall Fire Department spokesperson says firefighters doused a blaze at an apartment complex at 340 East Eastwood Street.

The occupant of the apartment was not home, and all others in the apartment complex were successfully evacuated without any injuries.

The cause of the fire was investigated by the State Fire Marshal.

According to a probable-cause statement, the fire was determined to have started at or on the interior side of the front door to Apartment B, and was found to be incendiary in origin. No accidental sources of ignition were found to have caused this fire. The fire was set low, at or along the floor, then spread from this area into several areas of the structure. The occupant of Apartment B, Samantha M. Edde was not present at the time fire personnel arrived.

Authorities say Edde established a pattern of erratic behavior in events prior to this fire. Witnesses say they saw her start a similar fire and threatened to burn the apartments numerous times on the days prior.

On July 10, Edde spoke with her landlord about the potential of being evicted. According to authorities, Edde told the landlord she would burn down the apartments if she was evicted. On July 9, Edde is said to have told the tenant of an apartment at the complex that if she was evicted she would “burn the place down” and “didn’t care who she hurt”.

According to the building owner and occupants of several apartments, Edde had set fires in the structure before, with the last known fire being around six months prior to this fire. Edde allegedly attempted to light the exterior door of apartment C on fire with a lighter, and there is still discoloration and residue on the door from the event. A tenant of one of the apartments says they witnessed Edde start that fire on the door of apartment C.
Edde told authorities she wasn’t home at the time of this fire, and people were lying about her.

According to court documents, Edde is charged with a felony for arson in the first degree. The court has ordered no bond.

Edde was arraigned on July 13. Edde’s counsel-status hearing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 20; and her preliminary hearing is set for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, August 10, Saline County Circuit Court.

Photo courtesy the Saline County Sheriff’s Department.