A man in Dickson, Tennessee, stabbed his wife multiple times and set her on fire after a domestic dispute at their home.
When authorities responded to a fire at the residence, they found the woman with severe injuries caused by the attack. The man, identified as 28-year-old Zachary Mowel, confessed to the crime upon their arrival.
The victim, named Tessa, had stab wounds on her back and chest, with a knife still in her body.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation determined that Mowel assaulted his wife with a knife, then ignited the fire after dousing her with gasoline.
Although no motive was disclosed, the victim mentioned to law enforcement that a fight between her and her husband escalated into violence. Mowel was taken into custody and faces charges including attempted first-degree murder, aggravated arson, and domestic assault.
He is currently held at Dickson County Jail on a bond of $765,000.
Tori Ila Elizabeth Trotter, the twin sister of the victim Tessa, launched a GoFundMe campaign to support Tessa's recovery.
Tessa remains hospitalized at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, undergoing treatment for severe injuries.
According to Tori, the attack occurred on July 1 when Tessa returned home from work. Allegedly, her husband Zachary stabbed her multiple times with a kitchen knife, including in the back, neck, chest, and back, alongside brutally beating her face over 30 times.
He then reportedly poured gasoline on her, set her on fire, and ignited their house before leaving her injured.
Their two sons, aged five and eight, witnessed the incident and pleaded with their father to stop.
Tessa sustained nine stab wounds, third-degree burns on her right leg, multiple broken ribs, a collapsed lung, and is paralyzed from the waist down.
Tori Ila Elizabeth Trotter shared on the GoFundMe page that Tessa faces a challenging journey of recovery and therapy. Tori, who has temporarily taken custody of Tessa's nephews, described her sister as incredibly strong and lamented the unjust suffering endured by Tessa and her sons.
In an interview with local NBC affiliate WSMV, Tina Trotter, Tessa's mother, revealed they had planned a family gathering on July 1 before tragedy struck. Tina recounted visiting her daughter in the hospital, where Tessa tearfully recounted the harrowing attack. According to Tina, Zachary assaulted Tessa in front of their young sons, preventing Jackson, the eldest, from calling 911 as instructed. Allegedly, Zachary then took the children away in his truck before returning to set fire to their home with Tessa inside.
Tina expressed disbelief and heartbreak over Zachary's actions, emphasizing his previous assurances that he would never harm Tessa. She credited the quick actions of two passersby who entered the burning house and likely saved Tessa's life. Despite Zachary initially leaving the scene, he returned and was subsequently arrested.
Tina conveyed deep gratitude to these unidentified individuals, stating, "God bless you, and once my family identifies you, I will reach out. We are so thankful because I wouldn’t have her with us today."
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Written: ( 12:11 am)
