A 22-year-old Sedalia man has pleaded guilty to first degree arson and second degree murder following a fatal house fire last June.

According to the Sedalia Democrat, Aran Cantrell entered the plea as part of a plea agreement on Wednesday afternoon. The Democrat says Pettis County Prosecuting Attorney Phillip T. Sawyer "presented an agreement that included sentences of 24 years in the Department of Corrections on both counts, to be served concurrently."

Cantrell was arrested on arson charges, along with Cody A. Harvey, in connection with a fire on South Grand Avenue that killed 30-year-old Matthew Eldenburg on June 23, 2016. Charges of first degree murder were added in September.

Charges against Harvey were dropped in May, after the Pettis County Prosecutor said "that the admissible evidence was going to be insufficient to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Cody A. Harvey committed the charged crimes."

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