A Rome man has been charged with a slew of felonies, including felony murder and arson, after he allegedly set fire to his stepmother's house because she refused to sell the property. Timothy Edward Lary, 26, was arrested after his father and witness, Edward Lary, told police that he confessed to starting the blaze that killed his stepmother, according to a report by FOX5 Atlanta.
The incident occurred on Saturday night in Rome. When officials arrived at the scene, they found the residence engulfed in flames and were unable to save the woman trapped inside. "He set the fire and my wife is inside. I want him to go to jail," Edward Lary said to the officers, pointing at his son on the side of the road. The suspect allegedly admitted to his actions, stating "Yeah, I did," when asked by the police if he was responsible for the fire, as reported by FOX5 Atlanta.
Authorities say Timothy Lary spent the day in an increasingly agitated state over his belief that his mother should sell the lot on which the house sat. He reportedly wanted the money from the sale so that he could be on his own. In a chilling turn of events, Lary had threatened to burn the house down earlier that day, and later acted on that threat by igniting a mattress inside the residence.
After firefighters extinguished the fire, the remains of the 70-year-old victim as well as two cats and a dog were discovered. The Rome police department has since charged Timothy Lary with neglect to a disabled adult and or elder person, three counts of cruelty to animals, three counts of arson, criminal damage to property, and two counts of aggravated assault and murder. The suspect, now in custody at the Floyd County Jail, reportedly glanced back at the burning house and said, "Yeah, let him get your ashes," Rome police detailed as he was being driven away from the scene, according to FOX5 Atlanta.
The investigation is ongoing, and officials have revealed that the remains of the deceased will be sent to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab for further analysis. Neighbors are shaken by the horrific events, with one, Quentin Patric Ealy, having called 911 after he overheard screams and saw the fire, which he described in a statement obtained by FOX5 Atlanta.
