Nashville, TN – A 67-year-old Nashville man has been charged with aggravated arson following a house fire that critically injured his roommate, according to homicide investigators.
Gary Murray Jr. was charged after detectives investigated a Thursday morning fire on Meharry Boulevard that left a 65-year-old man with life-threatening injuries. Witnesses at the scene told investigators that Murray intentionally set the fire in an attempt to harm a woman who was staying with him.
Firefighters responded to the blaze shortly after 8 a.m. and found two male roommates inside the home. One man suffered non-critical smoke inhalation, while the other was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Burn Unit with critical injuries.
Police said Murray and the woman were no longer at the scene when firefighters arrived. Murray was later located by TITANS Unit detectives Thursday afternoon and taken into custody on an unrelated outstanding warrant.
During an interview with Homicide Unit detectives, police said Murray admitted to intentionally setting fire to his bed while the woman was lying in it in an effort to make her leave.
Investigators said additional charges against Murray are expected as the investigation continues. Authorities are working to determine the full circumstances surrounding the fire and the events that led up to it.