Maroa man sentenced to 20 years in prison for setting woman on fire

MACON COUNTY, Ill. (WAND) - A Maroa man will spend 20 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to setting a woman on fire last September.

Macon County court records show Matthew Broadhacker, 37, appeared in court Thursday morning and pleaded guilty to attempted murder — a Class X felony.

Charges of aggravated battery causing great bodily harm and aggravated domestic battery against Broadhacker were dropped as part of the plea deal.

Broadhacker was arrested after a fire in the 400 block of Maple Street in Maroa in September 2024. A sworn statement of his arrest said that a 43-year-old woman was found with third degree burns on 50% of her body.

An Illinois State Police officer said first responders at the scene had smelled "a strong odor of gasoline" coming from Broadhacker, and he also had burns on his arm and neck.

Broadhacker's 20-year sentence will be followed by three years of mandatory supervised release, according to court records.

He will also receive credit for time served and must serve 85% of his sentence.

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