Photo: Ottumwa Police Department - Facebook
(Ottumwa, IA) -- An Ottumwa woman charged with arson is now facing a first-degree murder charge after police say she started a fire at an apartment that killed one person.
Police say 31-year-old Ashley Dawn Lankford started an apartment fire at 220 W 5th Street early Sunday, with two people still inside the building.
One person was able to escape from a third-floor window, while 59-year-old Ernest Wilson was unable to escape and died.
Investigators identified Lankford as a suspect and arrested her later that day.
On Monday, she was charged with Murder 1st Degree, Attempt to Commit Murder, Criminal Mischief, and Animal Abuse- Causing Death.
She is being held in the Wapello County Jail on a $1 Million cash-only bond.
The case is being investigated by the Ottumwa Police Department, the Ottumwa Fire Department, and the State Fire Marshall’s Office for the State of Iowa.