Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
A Nappanee man will serve 30 years in the Indiana Department of Correction for committing arson.
Joseph Hershberger, 43, of 556 W. Market St., Nappanee, was sentenced on three counts of arson, all level 4 felonies, in Kosciusko Superior Court I on Thursday.
For each count of arson, Kosciusko Superior Court I Judge Karin McGrath sentenced Hershberger to 10 years, served consecutively, totaling 30 years, to be served in the IDOC. The sentence will be served concurrently, or at the same time, as a sentence from Elkhart County.
Hershberger issued an apology saying, “I have had quite a while to think about my actions. What I did was uncalled for, and I want to apologize to the community and to the state for what I did. I will die behind bars and I know I deserve it … These are the consequences of my actions and I accept it.”
Following this, McGrath said, “This is a tragedy for everyone involved. It is a tragic loss of potential, but like you said these are the consequences of your actions. While you are serving your time, don’t give up, there is hope even in prison.”
McGrath also required Hershberger to pay restitution to Roger Boettger in the amount of $19,365. Two other restitution cases are pending evaluation.
Hershberger set fire to three barns in Kosciusko County. The first incident, according to court documents, occurred on April 26, 2021, near Milford. Both the second and third instances of barn fires happened on June 10, 2021.
A search warrant was issued on Nov. 30, 2021, at which time the home was searched and the vehicles and electronic devices were confiscated from Hershberger and his accomplice, Sherry Thomas. The evidence found implicated both parties in the fires that took place on April 26, 2021, and June 10, 2021.
Thomas is also facing charges related to the barn fires in Kosciusko County, according to WNDU. She was sentenced to eight years of home detention and two years of probation for the Elkhart County barn burnings.
In addition to the charges in Kosciusko County, Hershberger and Thomas are also accused of setting fire to an Amish school in Marshall County, WNDU reports.
Meanwhile, there’s another barn arson in St. Joseph County that Thomas and Hershberger are charged with but have never been prosecuted for. This one took place on May 3, 2021, in Madison Township.
Debbie Schmidt’s barn on Ash Road burned to the ground, but she is still waiting for her day in court. Schmidt says she’s been calling the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office, asking for them to prosecute Hershberger and Thomas, according to channel 16.
