Elkhart County couple accused of burning Amish barns now face even more charges
A couple accused of committing a string of barn fires in Elkhart County now faces new arson charges in Marshall County, with officials alleging the pair set fire to an Amish school southeast of Bremen.
The new charges against Joseph Hershberger, 41, and Sherry Thomas, 32, come as their Elkhart County cases appear to be nearing plea agreements.
Elkhart County officials charged Hershberger and Thomas in December with eight counts of arson for incidents that date back to April 2021.
Some, but not all, of the barns the pair allegedly set on fire belonged to members of the Amish community. Court documents do not detail Thomas or Hershberger's motivations, saying only that Thomas told police she and Hershberger would "drive around and he would pick out barns to burn."
Farmers and police were first alerted to the possibility of arson last spring after witnessing a series of fires at barns in the northern part of Kosciusko County and the southern part of Elkhart County. Additional instances of barns catching fire in close proximity over the summer and fall led police in Elkhart and Kosciusko counties to investigate the fires as arsons.
Hershberger and Thomas were arrested after police tracked Thomas' phone to the scene of several of the barn fires shortly before they began, court documents say. When questioned by police, the documents say, Hershberger admitted to starting several fires in Elkhart County, saying that he and Thomas would take turns pouring gasoline and setting the barns on fire.
More: Arson suspected in a string of barn fires in Elkhart and Kosciusko counties
One farmer, Daniel Imhoff, who saw his barn on County Road 9 burned in September, told The Tribune the blaze killed around 30 animals, though he planned to rebuild the structure. Just a few minutes southwest, Nelson Martin had two storage barns burn down on the same night.
Both Hersbherger and Thomas are set for hearings about possible plea agreements in the coming months, though no deals have been entered or signed.
Any plea agreements in the Elkhart County cases, however, will be separate from the new charges filed against the pair in Marshall County.
Those charges, filed last week, allege the couple set a fire at Rolling Meadow School on Birch Road east of Bremen in May. Thomas and Hershberger, already in custody for the arsons in Elkhart, allegedly told Marshall County detectives they had broken the window of the school, poured gasoline inside and lit a match.
Arson is a Level 4 felony in Indiana and carries a sentence of two to 12 years. Court records show Hershberger has a previous arson conviction from 2006.
Email Marek Mazurek at mmazurek@sbtinfo.com. Follow him on Twitter: @marek_mazurek
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Accused Elkhart County arsonists now face charges for Bremen school fire
