(Killingly, CT) - John F. Fahey, State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of Windham, announced today that the defendant charged in connection with a series of arson fires in 2023 has been sentenced by the Honorable Ernest Green, Jr. to a total effective sentence of 20 years in prison, suspended after three years served, followed by a period of five years of probation.
An investigation showed that in April 2023, when the defendant was a juvenile, he set fires that consumed the Congregational Church of Eastford, a local landmark, built in 1829, and damaged buildings in Crystal Pond Park in Woodstock. Due to the serious nature of the crimes, the case was transferred to adult court where the defendant pleaded guilty on June 20, 2025 to a charge of Arson in the Second Degree, in violation of Connecticut General Statutes § 53a-112(a)(1)(C). He was sentenced on September 5, 2025 in Superior Court in Danielson.
The case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney Jacqueline P. McMahon. Attorney McMahon stated, “The damage in this case extends far beyond the buildings that were burned. Those buildings were gathering places for the community that held generational memories for the people of the towns. The emotional impact of the damage will continue long after the buildings have been rebuilt.”
As part of the sentence, the defendant is responsible for making restitution payments to the Congregational Church of Eastford, which suffered financial loss exceeding $1 million.
The Windham Judicial District State’s Attorney’s Office extends sincere thanks to the Connecticut State Police Eastern District Major Crime Squad, the South Windsor Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for their thorough investigations and handling of the case, and the members of the fire departments who responded and suppressed the flames. State’s Attorney Fahey also thanked Supervisory Assistant State’s Attorney McMahon and Inspectors James Curtis and Joseph Fargnoli for their diligent work on this challenging case.