Higbee man found guilty on three charges after setting wife, home on fire

A Higbee man accused of setting his wife and house on fire in June 2013 was found guilty on three charges in Carroll County Court Tuesday.

Hunt was found guilty of first degree arson, assault, and armed criminal action.

Willard Hunt originally appeared in court in June. However, the judge declared a mistrial after information the attorneys had not seen was brought up.

Jury questioning wrapped up before 12:00 Tuesday afternoon.

After many pretrial motions from Hunt, Judge Scott Hayes agreed in March to move the trial from Randolph County, where the crime happened, to Carroll County.

Hunt said he couldn’t get a fair trial in Randolph County because if the extensive media coverage of the fire.

Prosecutor Mike Fusselman said Hunt threw gasoline on his wife and lit her on fire with a cigarette lighter.

A fire investigator found red plastic gas cans outside the home, and a pillow inside the home that smelled like gas.

Seven witnesses took the stand, including Hunt’s wife, Connie.

Hunt said her husband woke her up on June 17 and asked, “Are you ready?”, then doused her in gasoline.

Hunt said she ran to the bathroom to wash it off, and when she left that room, Willard was there with a lighter.

Hunt said Willard was drinking that day, and admitted to the defense she never saw him drink.

One neighbor testified he saw Willard bring two red cans from the garage and set them by the house, but never saw him bring them inside.

Connie wasn’t able to identify the lighter the state took into evidence as belonging to Willard, but she said they had several lighters in the house.

Sentencing is scheduled for December 10 in Randolph County.