Inset: Christopher Medula (Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office). Background: A camper burning in Hamilton County, Tenn., where Christopher Medula allegedly set his grandmother on fire (WTVC/YouTube).
In a shocking incident in Tennessee, a grandmother fell victim to a horrific act allegedly carried out by her own grandson. As police arrived on the scene, the severely injured woman managed to convey, “Chris did it. He poured gas on me. He’s lost it,” while struggling to breathe.
Tragically, the grandmother sustained burns covering more than 70% of her body. Subsequently, her family made the difficult decision to take her off life support.
According to an arrest affidavit obtained by Law & Crime, 39-year-old Christopher Medula confessed to drenching his grandmother in gasoline and setting her on fire with a “Bic style lighter” within a camper located in Hamilton County. This disturbing event unfolded on a Tuesday afternoon.
Medula, upon being apprehended, reportedly told officers, “I poured gas on her. I had to do it,” adding a chilling justification, “She was evil. She raped me.”
A neighbor who witnessed the tragic scene described seeing Medula emerge from the camper engulfed in flames, followed by his grandmother, who was “burned badly.” The affidavit notes that Medula allegedly admitted to “holding the door to her camper shut so she could not escape,” until the neighbor intervened, brandishing a gun and ordering Medula to the ground.
According to the affidavit, the neighbor recalled Medula’s delusional statements, claiming, “She’s the devil,” and bizarrely declaring, “I’m Jesus.”
When first responders arrived at the scene, they found the grandmother lying in a driveway with her clothes “completely burned away” and third-degree burns covering her body. A neighbor had placed a blanket over her as she struggled to breathe and spoke to police.
“[The grandmother] was able to give deputies a statement, recorded on body worn camera … between her labored breaths,” the affidavit says.
Police found the “cigarette lighter” that Medula is accused of using to light his grandmother on fire inside his pocket. He was charged with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault and aggravated arson for the alleged fire attack. He was being held at the Hamilton County Jail on a $1 million bond Wednesday with his next court appearance scheduled for Nov. 17.
