Florida woman Sara Barnes, 28, burned down a 3,500 year old tree so that she could see the meth that she was trying to smoke.
“The Senator,” as people called it, was the fifth oldest tree in the world. It stood at 125 feet and was 17 feet in diameter, according to Opposing Views.
Barnes admits to frequently visiting the tree while she was high on meth and even said that she was a tree enthusiast. According to Daily Mail, Barnes said that the fire simply got out of control.
Police found photos of Barnes burning down the tree on her phone and computer after she had been bragging to friends that she had burned something down that was older than Jesus.
The woman has escaped serving time after numerous court dates since the tree went up in flames at 5:30 a.m. on January 16, 2012. She was charged with the unlawful burning of lands, possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia and pleaded no contest.
She will perform 250 hours of community service and has been ordered to more than $12,000 in restitutions for burning the tree. She has also said that she will seek out drug counseling as a part of her sentence.
Seminole County, where the tree was located, has planted a 50 foot sapling taken from the tree in hopes to continue the legacy of “The Senator.”