A woman from Edgar County has been arrested for the deaths of her boyfriend and young daughter in a house fire in March.
26-year-old Stefanie Sanders is facing two counts each of first-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and arson for the fire that occurred on March 1 in the small community of Vermilion, which is located southeast of Paris.
Investigators were called to the 100-block of Water Street around 1:30 in the morning. Officials found Sanders and two children standing outside the home. They were taken to hospitals. Inside, firefighters found the bodies of 35-year-old Michael Phipps and his two-month-old daughter, Nettie Phipps.
Sanders was taken into custody on Monday. The Edgar County Coroner, Edgar County State’s Attorney and the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s offices investigated the case.
