LASALLE COUNTY, Ill. — Margaret M. Buckley has been charged with aggravated arson with knowledge of people present, a Class X felony, in a case filed in LaSalle County Circuit Court on August 3, 2026. She was denied pretrial release the same day. The case is being prosecuted under case number 2026CF000341.
By Willow Moss | Moss and Ink | First published August 26, 2026
Case Status
- Current status: Indicted; awaiting jury trial
- Next court date: Jury trial scheduled for October 5, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.; a jury pretrial conference set for September 24 was marked canceled
- Charges: Aggravated Arson with Knowledge of People Present — Class X felony, 720 ILCS 5/20-1.1(a)(1)
- Custody status: Denied pretrial release; held at LaSalle County Jail
- Case number: 2026CF000341
- Court: LaSalle County Circuit Court
- Prosecution: Assistant State’s Attorneys Matt Kidder and Ryan J. Cantlin
- Defense: Public Defender Ryan Hamer
- Presiding judge: Michelle A. Vescogni (initial detention hearing before Judge H. Chris Ryan Jr.)
- Last updated: August 26, 2026
Incident Summary
Margaret M. Buckley was charged in LaSalle County with aggravated arson with knowledge of people present, a Class X felony, in a case filed August 3, 2026. The publicly available court docket does not include a detailed narrative of the underlying incident, and as of publication, no law-enforcement press release or additional news coverage of this case could be located. This report will be updated if additional details become available.
Suspect Background
- Margaret M. Buckley
- Public court records do not list a hometown, age, or prior criminal history for Buckley at this time.
Arrest & Charges
- Case filed: August 3, 2026
- Fingerprint card filed: August 5, 2026
- Indicted: August 11, 2026
- Custody: Denied pretrial release; held at LaSalle County Jail
Case Timeline & Proceedings
August 3, 2026 — Filing and Initial Detention
The case was filed in LaSalle County Circuit Court on a charge of aggravated arson with knowledge of people present. The State’s petition to deny pretrial release was granted by Judge H. Chris Ryan Jr., and Buckley was ordered detained at the LaSalle County Jail.
August 5, 2026 — Fingerprint Card Filed
An arrest fingerprint card was filed with the court.
August 11, 2026 — Grand Jury Indictment
A LaSalle County grand jury returned an indictment on the aggravated arson charge.
August 13, 2026 — Arraignment
Buckley appeared before Judge Michelle A. Vescogni, was appointed Public Defender Ryan Hamer, and entered a plea of not guilty. A pretrial investigation report was also completed around this time.
September 24, 2026 — Jury Pretrial Conference (Canceled)
The pretrial conference originally scheduled for this date was marked canceled on the court docket.
October 5, 2026 — Jury Trial (Scheduled)
A jury trial is scheduled to begin at 10:00 a.m.
How to Follow This Case
- LaSalle County Circuit Court case number: 2026CF000341, searchable via the LaSalle County Circuit Clerk online docket or public access terminal (www.lasallecountyil.gov/circuit-clerk).
- Jury trial currently scheduled to begin October 5, 2026, at 10:00 a.m.
This is a developing story and will be updated as new information becomes available. All information is sourced from publicly available court filings and official case records; as of publication, no additional news coverage of this case could be located. Individuals charged with crimes are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
—Willow Moss