A Florida man faces first degree homicide charges after he lit his wife on fire following a fight about the temperature in their home.
Husband charged with first-degree murder
Robert Head, 58, faces charges of first-degree murder and arson after tossing an entire pot of gasoline on his wife and lighting her on fire.
Williston Fire Rescue responded around 7:48 p.m. on Thursday to a call about a building on fire.
When emergency responders arrived, the home was fully ablaze, and they learned a woman was trapped inside, but found her deceased.
Police learned that that Head was responsible for the incident, and found him cowering in a dog kennel with a machete, threatening self-harm. He was detained shortly after.
According to her daughter, who was present during the incident, Head not only started the blaze, he set her mother on fire.
She told the police Head and her mother fought constantly, and said when she got home from work that day, it was hot in the house due to the air conditioning setting, which was an ongoing source of conflict between Head and her mother.
During a heated argument, Head allegedly verbally insulted his wife, who retorted with her own barbs.
Head then left the house “smiling” like a maniac and returned with a cooking pot filled with gasoline.
He purportedly told his wife, “If we’re going out, we’re going out together. I told you I ain’t never leaving you.” He then poured the gasoline onto her body and feet, the affidavit claims.
The daughter reported that Head lit a piece of paper and threw it at her mother, causing an explosion. She was also burned by the fire and fled the house.
After being read his rights, Head admitted to killing his wife after fighting with her and the daughter over the air conditioning.
He told the police that he was angry his wife always took her daughter’s side in arguments since she moved in two years ago.
Head said he intended to kill himself before first responders arrived on scene and told officers he “deserved to die for taking the life” of his wife.
He is currently held at the Levy County Jail for first-degree murder and arson charges without bond.
Firefighter dead after barber lit property on fire to collect insurance cash
In another case, a Chicago barbershop owner allegedly orchestrated an insurance fraud plot that resulted in the death of a firefighter.
Anthony Moore, 47, faces wire fraud, insurance fraud, and forgery charges related to an April 2023 fire that killed firefighter Jermaine Pelt.
His accomplices, Nicholas Virgil, 37, and Martez Cristler, 22, have been charged with arson and the murder of pelt, according to the Chicago Police Department.
Prosecutors said that Moore purchased a building in Chicago’s Southside in 2021, and bought a $400,000 insurance policy, falsely claiming the building was occupied, and got Virgil and Cristler burn it down.
The fire, which started around 3:30 a.m. on April 4, 2023, led to Pelt’s death when he responded with his fire crew.
Conditions dramatically worsened as Pelt was extinguishing the flames that had spread to a neighboring building, and the fire crews were ordered to evacuate.
Pelt collapsed just as the order was given. Fellow firefighters rescued him and took him to a local hospital, where he died.
The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office determined his death was caused from carbon monoxide toxicity due to the inhalation smoke and soot while battling the blaze.
Fire investigators discovered that hand sanitizer was used as an accelerant to make the fire spread more quickly. Two empty two-liter bottles ended up being found behind Moore’s barbershop.
According to cell phone data Moore was in frequent communication with Virgil and Cristler on the night of the fire. Surveillance footage also captured Virgil and Cristler’s vehicles near the scene.
Moore may face additional charges if investigators are able to establish a conspiracy with the other two men to collect the insurance money.
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