Solicitor comments on Campbell’s Sentence

On April 17, Joshua Charles Campbell pled guilty before the Honorable Cordell Maddox to nine counts of attempted murder and one count of arson in the third degree. Campbell was sentenced to 12 years on all counts, to be served concurrently with no chance of parole. On the sentence, 10th Circuit Solicitor David Wagner said, “Joshua Campbell’s reckless and criminal behavior endangered the lives of many people on Jan. 16, 2016. I am grateful that the occupants of the home were able to escape without injury and no firefighters were harmed extinguishing the fire. This plea ensures that our community and the victims in this case can live without fear of Joshua Campbell for over the next decade.” On Jan. 16, 2016, Campbell set fire to a vehicle in the carport of a home on Forest Drive in Seneca. The fire spread from the vehicle to the home, causing extensive damage. At the time of the fire, the home was occupied by nine adults and children, two being Campbell’s child and the child’s mother. When interviewed by law enforcement, Campbell denied involvement with the fire but provided details that had not been publicly released. SLED testing confirmed the fire did originate with the vehicle parked in the carport and gasoline was used as an accelerant. This case was investigated by the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office and SLED.