Man Accused Of Burning Woman In Waukesha Drops Plea

WAUKESHA, WI— A 39-year-old man from Las Vegas, who is accused of setting a woman on fire in Waukesha, withdrew his guilty by reason of mental disease or defect plea on Wednesday, according to online court documents.

Patch reached out to Murn's attorney Chris Bailey but haven't heard back as of Wednesday afternoon.

Joel Murn appeared Wednesday in Waukesha County Circuit Court, according to online documents.

In September, Bailey told the court "based on his interaction with the defendant he is requesting an order for competency on the defendant's felony matter," online court documents said.

According to the online documents, the state and defense accepted the doctor's reports on Wednesday. Murn changed his plea to not guilty Wednesday.

A plea hearing scheduled for May 20.

'Doing relatively well'

The victim, Amber Fuller, who works as a massage therapist, released the following statement to Patch on Wednesday:

"I’m doing relatively well. As far as physical healing goes, my surgeon and dermatologist both recommended I do Kenalog injections and laser surgery to minimize scarring and help break up scar tissue. My surgeon also prescribed a custom compression sleeve that I will need to wear for the next year. So even though I am back to work, it minimizes the type of massage I can do and the length of time with only being able to use one arm."

A fundraiser was started for Fuller in October. Murn is facing six felony charges: first degree intentional homicide, two counts of first degree recklessly endangering safety, arson of building without owner's consent, and two counts of arson of property other than building. His cash bond was set at $1 million.

Background On Attack

Officers responded to a report of Fuller being set on fire at 8:49 a.m. on Sept. 2, in the 400 block of Lake Street, according to a criminal complaint. Fuller said she was walking her dogs when she was lit on fire by a man she didn't know who was wearing a red ball cap and a gray hoodie. She told police she let go of her dogs because "I was engulfed in flames," according to the complaint. She said she knew of no one who would do that.

A female cousin said Murn had threatened her previously, according to the complaint. The criminal complaint said Murn might have mistaken the woman walking her dogs as his cousin.
The cousin told police Murn has a history of mental health issues due to a traumatic brain injury from a car accident, the complaint said.

At 9:12 a.m., Waukesha police and fire officials were called to Fox Vale Court, where an 83-year-old man had been hit by a vehicle driven by his grandson, identified as Murn.
Police said they also determined that Murn acted alone in setting two vehicles on fire — one of which was in a garage and another which was in the driveway. Murn also set a workshop on fire, which caused significant damage, according to the complaint.

The 83-year-old man who was struck by the vehicle was taken to the hospital, the complaint said.
Murn's grandparents said they hadn't seen Murn in 16 years. They received letters accusing the grandfather of giving bad stock advice and stating he was "mentally abused," the complaint said.Murn was taken into custody at Goerke's Corners Park and Ride located at 400 N. Barker Road later that day.