Missouri man pleads guilty to arson in Cape Girardeau church fire

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. — A Missouri man has pleaded guilty to federal charges after setting fire to a church in 2021.

According to a press release from the United States Department of Justice (USDOJ), 48-year-old Christopher Scott Pritchard pleaded guilty to two counts of arson for setting the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) in Cape Girardeau on fire.

Pritchard admitted to intentionally setting fire to the church, the USDOJ said, causing a complete structural loss and "obstructed the church's congregants in the free exercise of their religious beliefs...".

The USDOJ said Pritchard will be sentenced on Feb. 18, 2025, and faces up to 20 years in prison for violating the Church Arson Prevention Act. He also faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison for arson of a building affecting foreign or interstate commerce and may be required to pay a fine of up to $250,000 per count.