A man in Louisville faces capital murder charges after allegedly starting a fire on Sunday that caused the death of his wife and son.
Chief Deputy Keith Alexander with the Winston County Sheriff’s Department confirmed that 50-year-old Fred Eiland confessed to tossing gasoline into the home on Gage Street and lighting it on fire after arguing with his wife, Meredith.
After the fire was extinguished, the Winston County Coroner pronounced Meredith dead at the scene.
Their 17-year-old son, Lil’Freddius, was also in the home at the time and was taken to a local hospital, but died as a result of the burns earlier today. The couple’s daughter and her boyfriend were in the home at the time of the fire, but they made it out with non-life-threatening injuries.
Eiland was initially arrested and charged with capital murder, arson, and three counts of aggravated assault, but those charges will likely be upgraded as a result of his son’s death.
The Winston County Sheriff’s Department, the Louisville Police Department, and the State Fire Marshal’s Office will continue to investigate this case.
