A 28-year-old resident of Hampton has been charged with tampering with a witness stemming from the disappearance of grave markers and historical site markers in Franklin County.
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Department filed a criminal complaint against Stephanie Carstens. In the complaint, the sheriff’s department says the charge was filed as a result of phone calls being made by one of the four suspects in the original case, Brandon Smith, who is being held at the Hardin County Jail.
Law enforcement alleges that Smith and Carstens conspired to influence a witness in the case against Smith. Carstens called the witness on March 14th and used recording apps on her cell phone to record the witness’s comments.
In this case, tampering with a witness is considered to be an aggravated misdemeanor, punishable by up to 2-years in prison.
Her initial court appearance has been scheduled for May 22nd at 1:30pm.
