Guilty Plea and Federal Plea Deal Reached in Lincoln Hall Arson Case – Arraignment for State Charges

Shelia Clemons, 57, of Jackson County, was arrested on August 06, 2025 by federal authorities and charged with allegedly burning down historic Lincoln Hall, located on the campus of Grace Covenant Ministries in Annville, KY.

The fire occurred on July 30, and the building was completely destroyed, with the roof collapsing onto the lower level. Clemons was charged with “arson of property affecting interstate commerce.” Pursuant to Title 18 § 844(i), it is unlawful for any person to maliciously damage or destroy by means of fire any building or vehicle used in interstate or foreign commerce or in any activity affecting interstate commerce.

The trial was scheduled for March 09, 2026. However, a plea deal was reached and signed on March 02, 2026 eliminating the need for the trial.

In the plea deal, the prosecutors state that they could prove the following facts that establish the essential elements of the offense beyond a reasonable doubt, and

Clemons admitted to these facts:

(a) On or about July 30, 2025, in Jackson County, in the Eastern District of Kentucky, the Defendant maliciously destroyed Lincoln Hall and an attached, under-construction elevator shaft by fire. Specifically, the Defendant gained access to Lincoln Hall via a window. She subsequently employed a lighter to start a fire with a stack of paper located inside the window.

(b) At the time of the fire, Lincoln Hall was used in interstate commerce and in an activity affecting interstate commerce. Specifically, active construction for improvement and use by the tuition-based Annville Christian School.

According to the court document outlining the plea deal, the statutory punishment for the offense is imprisonment for not less than 5 years and not more than 20 years, a fine of not more than $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 3 years. The United States prosecutors have agreed to recommend a decrease in the offense level used within the United States Sentencing Guidelines based on Clemon’s timely notice of intent to plead guilty.

In addition, the plea deal states that, “restitution will be the full amount of losses proven at sentencing and will include the costs expended toward ongoing improvements destroyed by the fire and the pre-improvement value of the original building, and the victim is Grace Covenant Ministries.”

Clemons agreed to pay restitution in the amount and to the victim(s) as ordered at sentencing, pursuant to I 8 U.S.C. § 3663(a)(3). The Defendant agrees that the restitution amount may include restitution for all losses caused by the Defendant's criminal conduct or through the commission of the offense of conviction, even if such losses resulted from crimes not charged or admitted by Defendant in the factual basis.

A rearraignment hearing was held on March 04, 2026 where the court accepted Clemon’s plea change. During the rearraignment/plea hearing, the court ordered a “Presentence Report” to be completed prior to sentencing. Sentencing will be set by a separate order, and no date is available yet for the sentencing hearing.

(*UPDATE* Since the publication of this article, the sentencing hearing has been scheduled for July 08, 2026)

STATE GRAND JURY INDICTMENT - ARRAIGNMENT FOR STATE CHARGES
After being indicted by a State Grand Jury, Clemons appeared before Judge Oscar Gayle House on March 03, 2026 for arraignment in Circuit Court for State charges. In addition to the Federal charge against Clemons, there are also State charges against her.

State Complaint Warrant #E05510005036433 was obtained by Deputy Sheriff Christian M. Collins on August 08, 2025, and was served and filed on August 26, 2025. The complaint alleges that Clemons created a substantial danger of death or serious physical injury to another person/persons when she allegedly intentionally and wantonly started a fire by reaching through a broken window of the basement of Lincoln Hall and lighting papers on fire causing a structural fire that required the response of multiple fire departments and required three (3) firefighters to enter the structure in an attempt to suppress the fire. This put the lives of those firefighters at risk of death or serious physical injury. The warrant was served by the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office at the Laurel County Detention Center.

Clemons has been charged with three (3) counts of wanton endangerment, 1st degree.

At a preliminary hearing, Judge Allen B. Roberts heard from Deputy Christian Collins and ruled that probable cause for the alleged charges had been established and subsequently the case was held over to a Grand Jury for consideration and potential indictment. The Grand Jury returned Indictment #26-CR-00003 on February 03, 2026.

At the State’s arraignment of March 03, 2026, Clemons waived the need for a formal arraignment and entered a plea of “not guilty” to the charges. A pretrial hearing was scheduled for May 05, 2026.

As with all cases at this stage of adjudication, the state charges are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent until provided due process and determined to be guilty by the court.