Woman charged with murder after house fire

A woman is being charged with murder after a house fire that claimed the life of a 47-year-old man in May.

On Monday, the Bannock County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office announced that Josephine Bobbie Theboy was charged with first-degree murder, burglary and robbery.

Martin D. Anderton, 47, died May 7 in connection to a fire at 12474 Cherry Lane in Bannock County near Fort Hall Indian Reservation. Anderton did not live at the house, the landlord said.

“The felony murder rule in Idaho says if in the commission of a robbery or burglary someone dies, even though you do not necessarily intend that death to occur, that is first-degree murder,” said Bannock County Prosecuting Attorney Stephen Herzog. “It is our belief that the fire was started at some point during the perpetration of either one of those offenses.”

Theboy is being held on a $500,000 bond.

The prosecutor’s office said charges are likely to be filed against a second suspect, who is already in custody on unrelated charges.