Austin N. Carter...headed back to DOC
SALINE CO., Ill.---An early February fire that destroyed the dwelling of a Saline County family has been addressed in Saline County Circuit Court, with the man who set it having been sentenced.
Austin N. Carter, 21, of Harrisburg, pled guilty and was sentenced on March 11, 2015 in Saline County Circuit Court by Judge Walden E. Morris to 15 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections, 2 years mandatory supervised release, and costs, according to a press release from the Saline County State's Attorney's office.
Carter was found guilty of Residential Arson, a Class 1 Felony punishable by a term of 4 to 15 years in the Illinois Department of Corrections and a $25,000 fine.
The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal, Harrisburg Fire Departmentand the Saline County Sheriff's Office led the investigation of Carter.
On February 9, the Harrisburg Fire Department was notified of a fire at 2505 Ledford Road, Harrisburg and responded to the scene. After the fire was put out, an investigation was opened to determine the cause of the fire. It was determined the fire began in the kitchen of the home (which was the residence of Carter's ex, Mary Kay Byers, and her children).
During the investigation, it was learned Carter had placed a pan filled with grease on the stovetop burner and ignited the burner before leaving the residence. The pan ignited and fire quickly spread throughout the residence.
Assistant State's Attorney, Jason A. Olson, led the successful prosecution of Carter.
The case leads the front page of the current issue (March 2015), which is on stands now (in most locations; some have sold out). If this issue is sold out in YOUR area, you can always access all articles in the current edition by getting an online membership to the e-Edition; simply click this link to go right to the front-page article if you have a membership, or sign up if you don't!
Byers' house in Ledford on Feb. 10