HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (Court TV) — A Tennessee man is facing charges, including murder and arson, after he allegedly set a woman on fire.
Christopher Medula is charged with murdering a woman by setting her on fire. (Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office)
Investigators say Christopher Alan Medula, 39, tried to flee the scene after the attack, but was detained by a witness at gunpoint. Deputies with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene on Clift Eldridge Road on Nov. 11, after receiving a call that a suspect had set his grandmother on fire.
The victim was lying in the driveway when officers arrived, with severe burns covering most of her body. With her last breaths, she told officers, “Chris did it,” “He poured gas on me,” and “He’s lost it,” in statements recorded by a deputy’s body-worn camera.
Investigators later identified the victim as Angela Michelle Palacio, who died from her injuries, and said, despite earlier reports, there is no known familial connection between the victim and Medula.
The witness who held Medula at gunpoint told police that he was inside his own camper a few lots down when he heard screaming and drove over to help. The witness reported seeing Medula attacking the victim, who was covered in flames and burns. Upon seeing the witness, Medula allegedly first tried to hide, then made statements including, “I had to do it,” “She’s the devil” and “I’m Jesus.”
When deputies approached Medula and gave him a Miranda warning, he immediately responded, saying, “I had to do it….she was evil” and “she raped me.”
In an interview with detectives, Medula allegedly admitted to the attack, saying he poured gasoline on Palacio and set her on fire with a cigarette lighter. A lighter was found in his pocket.
Court records indicate Medula is scheduled to return to court on Nov. 17.
