MILWAUKEE — A 62-year-old woman has been charged with murder after prosecutors say she intentionally started a fire that killed a legally blind man near 29th and Bobolink.
60-year-old Anthony Winters was killed in last week's house fire. Merchelle Adams of Milwaukee was charged Saturday with one count of first-degree reckless homicide and one count of arson of a building.
According to the criminal complaint, a witness said a woman, later identified as Adams, said "I set the house on fire" and started laughing. She also allegedly told the witness there was a "blind man in there... that's what he gets."
Crews responded to the fire on July 11 around 9 p.m. The complaint says a Milwaukee Fire Department captain could hear a male yelling "help" three or four times. Crews were unable to get to the second floor due to the fire's intensity. Winters was found and pulled from the burning home. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The complaint says Adams was found sitting on a rock directly across from the home. She admitted to being inside the home and living there when the fire started. She allegedly told authorities that the victim was not inside the home before she was taken into custody.
The man who owns the home said he rented the home to Winters and Adams for the last seven years and that they were boyfriend and girlfriend.
Adams told authorities that the incident occurred due to domestic violence and that Winters abused her, the complaint says. She admitted to starting the fire when Winters was asleep.
"She stated that while the victim was sleeping, she started the mattress on fire with a lighter," the complaint says. "She stated she then told the victim to get up and put the fire out." She then ran out the door.
Adams faces a maximum of life in prison if convicted of both charges. She is being held on a $200,000 cash bond and will return to court for a preliminary hearing on July 21.
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