Clemons Sentenced to Five (5) Years Imprisonment and Almost $2 Million Restitution for Fire that Destroyed Lincoln Hall

Shelia Clemons plead guilty and was sentenced to five years in prison on Wednesday for setting fire to a historic Jackson County building in July 2025.

According to court documents, Clemons was sentenced to federal arson charges and will be required to pay a nearly $2 million restitution for the fire that destroyed Lincoln Hall.

Investigators found that the blaze Clemons admitted to starting caused most of the building's walls to collapse. Documents reveal that she reached through the building with a lighter, setting fire to a piece of paper inside.

Clemons is the estranged wife of the building's groundskeeper.

More details will be included in next week's Jackson County Sun.