Written by: E. George
Published June 5, 2024 @ 12:00 PM ET
FLOYD COUNTY, Ga. – Rome Police officers arrested a 26-year-old man for setting a home on fire with his stepmother inside, killing her. After extinguishing the flames, officials discovered the 70-year-old woman’s remains and the bodies of three small pets in a back bedroom.
Police responded to a structure fire on the Addington Court property at approximately 9:30 PM on Saturday, May 25, 2024. Upon arrival, they observed flames smoldering out the front and rear doors, as well as the roof and learned that a female victim was still inside, but they were unable to enter.
They saw three men nearby, one of whom emphatically told them, “He set the fire, and my wife is inside. I want him to go to jail.” The witness spoke those words as he pointed across the street at his shirtless son, Timothy Edward Lary.” The third man was a 30-year-old witness and neighbor standing nearby.
When officers asked Timothy Lary if he had started the fire, he reportedly responded, “Yeah, I did.” They updated the case to arson as they detained and transported him to the Floyd County Jail.
Lary’s father told officers that his son had spent hours working himself into a state of intense anger over his mother refusing to sell the property lot. He explained that she rented the lot to himself and his wife, but Timothy believed she should sell it and hand over the money to him so he could live on his own.
He said Timothy had threatened him and his stepmother about burning down the home while they worked. He said Timothy set fire to a bundle of papers and threw them on a mattress, which spread to massive proportions.
Believing she was following right behind him, he yelled to his wife to vacate the home, but when he got outside, he could not find her. He said he thinks she doubled back to attempt to rescue their animals.
Officers found a torch lighter and some marijuana on Timothy’s person during his arrest. They said he stared back at the property and uttered, “Yeah, let him get your ashes,” as they drove away.
The neighbor had called 911 and reported the blaze late Saturday night. He told officers he had heard Timothy and his stepmother yelling right before he noticed the flames and then her screaming while she was trapped inside.
Her remains were scheduled to be transported to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Crime Lab for analysis, and a search warrant for the home was obtained.
Timothy Lary faces charges of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, three counts of animal cruelty, three counts of first-degree arson, criminal property damage, and neglect of a disabled/elderly adult. This case is pending in court.
