NEW BOSTON, Texas–A New Boston man has been charged with arson for allegedly burning down a house owned by his wife’s grandmother last month after the couple had an argument and his wife left the home.
Dennis McGill, 63, was allegedly angry that his wife had left the house in the 4200 block of Daniels Chapel Road on the night of Nov. 19 after the two had argued. The wife had gone to stay with her daughter in a house on the same property where McGill’s wife lived because the argument with McGill had become so “hostile,” according to a probable cause affidavit.
When police arrived at the scene of the fire the house was fully engulfed in flames. McGill drove up in his pickup and allegedly asked one of the officials on scene, “if everyone was okay” before heading to the house where his wife was staying with her daughter.
An investigator spoke to the daughter who reportedly told him that McGill had repeatedly called her looking for his wife during the night and had threatened to “burn the family down.”
Investigators listened to the voicemails and noted that McGill’s speech was slurred, as if he was intoxicated, and in other messages, McGill allegedly made statements such as “there will not be any incriminating evidence, let me talk to my wife,” and “call me or pay the consequences.”
McGill allegedly denied making statements about burning down the house during an interview at the Bowie County courthouse with investigators. When confronted with the voicemails that allegedly showed otherwise, McGill reportedly stuck his arms out in front of him and said, “arrest me.”
McGill allegedly admitted to investigators that he had been drinking “Everclear whiskey” on the night of the fire and claimed that he just wanted his wife to come home.
McGill is facing two to 20 years in prison if found guilty of arson. At the time of his arrest, investigators found several prescription hydrocodone pills in his pocket in an unmarked pill bottle, leading to an additional felony charge of possession of a controlled substance.
