KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — A Kalamazoo woman accused of a fatal fire says she was raped multiple times the night of the incident.
32-year-old Melissa Morgan is charged with 1st degree arson and murder for the fire at a home in the 400 block of Wallace Avenue back in February that killed 31-year-old Zachariah Hayes.
During her hearing Morgan explained that she was raped by Hayes 3 times and even had text messages to her boyfriend explaining the assaults, but she refused to talk to police or submit a rape test kit.
Investigators say that her boyfriend also texted her back, encouraging her to burn down Hayes’ home.
Fire officials could not save Hayes, who is originally from the Iron Mountain area, because of what they call heavy hoarding issues and a collapsed roof inside the home on the city’s Eastside.
Morgan was officially charged with murder last month and will be back in court on Wednesday.
