Mesa woman badly burned in fire that killed boyfriend accused of murder, arson

PHOENIX – A woman who was badly burned in an explosive fire at a Mesa golf resort over a month ago is now accused setting the blaze that killed her boyfriend, authorities said Thursday.

Stephanie Williams, 40, and Wallace Robinson, 42, were hospitalized and put into medically induced comas after the June 8 fire in a room at the Arizona Golf Resort at Power and Broadway roads, according to the Mesa Police Department.

Robinson, who suffered third-degree burns on 67% of his body, died of his injuries on June 25. Williams, who had burns on her arms, hands, face and legs, came out of her coma earlier this week and was interviewed by police on Tuesday.

“During the interview, Williams said she remembered being on fire, breaking a window to escape the fire, talking to someone who poured water on her, and the trip in an ambulance, but she said she couldn’t remember anything immediately prior to the fire,” Sgt. Chuck Trapani of the Mesa Police Department said in a press release.

Williams attempted to leave the acute care facility in the middle of the night after police interviewed despite her condition, according to court records. At the time, she had a tracheal tube and nasal feeding tube in place and her hands were heavily bandaged.

Investigators already had determined that Robinson apparently was lying naked in bed on his stomach and had gasoline poured on him before the fire was set, and that Williams was burned when residual fumes caused an explosion, according to the probable cause statement filed by the arresting officer. Plus, nobody else was in the room.

On Thursday morning, Williams was taken by ambulance to be booked into Maricopa County Jail on counts of first-degree murder and arson of an occupied structure.

According to the probable cause statement, Williams made statements along the lines of, “I had to do it; he was going to kill me,” at the scene and on the way to the hospital after the fire.

There also was reportedly a history of domestic violence calls involving the couple.

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