A woman in Milwaukee is facing several charges after allegedly setting her husband ablaze in the early hours of June 3 while he was sleeping in their Enderis Park home. Tuhonsty Maria Smith, 29, confessed to doing the deed to authorities upon reasoning that she suspected her husband Henry Williams of poisoning her chicken wings.
Smith was arrested on charges of arson, recklessly endangering safety, causing mayhem and domestic abuse. According to the New York Post, Smith waited for her husband to fall asleep before proceeding with her sinister plan. Around 4am, she filled a cup with lighter fluid and poured it over Williams’ head then used a lighter to ignite his hair.
Williams woke realizing that his locks were on fire and tried to douse it using his bare hands. He then rushed over to the room of his 3-month old daughter and grabbed her before running out of the house.
Emergency responders arrived at the residence located near Center Street and Carlton Place in Milwaukee and rushed Williams to the hospital. The victim suffered severe second and third-degree burns to his chest, head, ears, hands, neck and face.
While recovering in the hospital, Williams told police that Smith was the only person in the house at the time. They had gotten into a heated argument the night before she set him on fire. He mentioned that his wife’s behavior began to change over the last three to four months after telling her of his plans to leave her and move out of their home. He said Smith had been increasingly acting strange leading up to the incident.
Upon assessing the damages to the home, property owner Denise Wilson, who is also a longtime family friend of Williams, spoke to CBS 58 and said: "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."
"I'm just glad he was able to get the baby out and that he's going to be ok," Wilson added.
At Smith’s initial appearance, the court determined the suspect needed to undergo a competency evaluation. She will make another court appearance later this month upon completion of her competency report.
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe page has been set up to help raise funds for Wiliams’ medical costs and recovery.
