Homicide Unit detectives charged Gary Murray Jr., 67, today with aggravated arson following Thursday morning’s house fire on Meharry Boulevard that critically injured his 65-year-old roommate. Witnesses at the scene reported Murray intentionally set the fire in an attempt to kill a woman who was staying with him.

Neither Murray nor the woman were on scene when firefighters arrived to extinguish the blaze just after 8 a.m. Firefighters did locate Murray’s two male roommates inside, one with non-critical smoke inhalation and the other with life-threatening injuries at Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Burn Unit.

Murray, who was located by TITANS Unit detectives Thursday afternoon, was taken into custody on an unrelated outstanding warrant. He admitted during an interview with Homicide Unit detectives that he intentionally set fire to his bed while his female acquaintance was laying in it in order to force her to leave.

Additional charges against Murray are anticipated in the coming days.