Woman Allegedly Set Husband On Fire As He Slept After Believing He Poisoned Her Chicken Wings
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A Wisconsin woman allegedly set her sleeping husband on fire after convincing herself that he tried to poison her through chicken wings.
Henry Williams woke up on June 3 with his hair on fire, prompting him to frantically try to extinguish the flames with his hands, WDJT-TV reports. He then gathered up his 3-month old daughter and fled the Milwaukee home he shares with his wife, Tuhonsty Marie Smith,
Investigators believe that Smith lit him on fire and they have charged her with arson of a building, first-degree recklessly endangering safety and mayhem, and domestic abuse assessments. Williams suffered second and third-degree burns as a result of the incident.
Williams told police his wife's behavior had changed in recent months. He said he told her he was ending their marriage a few days prior to the fiery incident, which allegedly prompted even more erratic behavior from her, according to WDJT. The Milwaukee Police Department has not immediately responded to Oxygen.com's request for comment.
Tuhonsty Marie Smith Photo: Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department
According to a criminal complaint obtained by the station, Smith told authorities that she believed that her husband poisoned chicken wings she ate hours prior to the fire.
Smith allegedly admitted to filling a cup full of lighter fluid and pouring it on her husband’s head. Then, she allegedly used a lighter to set the fire.
The woman has been ordered to undergo a competency evaluation following her first court appearance on Tuesday. She is being held on a $25,000 bail. It’s not clear if she has a lawyer.
"Because I've known Henry since he was a kid, just heartbroken for him,” the couple’s property owner and friend Denise Wilson told WDJT. "The house is just a thing and that's why you have insurance but as long as he's going to be OK, that's my main concern."
She said he faces a “long road to recovery with his burns but ultimately he'll be ok."
