Woman Set On Fire In Waukesha; 39-Year-Old Man charged

WAUKESHA, WI— A 39-year-old man from Las Vegas is accused of setting a woman on fire, possibly mistaking her for his cousin and striking a relative with a car in Waukesha, according to a criminal complaint.

Joel 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.

Murn was supposed to appear during a court hearing on Friday but was refusing to come to court, according to online court documents. His cash bond was set at $1 million. Murn's next court date is September 9.

'Engulfed in flames'

Officers responded to a report of a woman being set on fire at 8:49 a.m. on Wednesday, in the 400 block of Lake Street, according to the criminal complaint.

The woman 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. At first, she saw the suspect while she was walking and tried to avoid him. He soon started to run at her and threw liquid that smelled flammable on her. She ran but tripped and fell. She tried to kick the man but he lit her on fire. 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 witness saw the man walking away after the woman was set on fire.

A doctor said the woman had second and third-degree burns on her back, the complaint said.

Police were told there may be a possible second victim located near where the woman was set on fire. A female cousin said Murn had threatened her previously, according to the complaint.

The woman was not injured and told police Murn has a history of mental health issues due to a traumatic brain injury from a car accident, the complaint said.

Angry letters sent

A witness, who is related to Murn, told police Murn may be trying to kill him and other family members. The complaint said the relative told police Murn had sent angry but non-threatening letters to several family members about a month ago.

In the letters from Murn, he said he was "losing his mind" and complaining that nobody would talk to him. The letter also "rambled on about some stocks from 20 years ago," the complaint said.

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 with a possible rotator cuff injury and tendon injury, the complaint said.

Murn's grandparents stated they hadn't seen Murn in 16 years and believed he was still living in Las Vegas, according to the complaint. They received letters accusing the grandfather of giving bad stock advice and stating he was "mentally abused," the complaint said.

The complaint said Murn told his grandparents he had "killed" his cousin.

Police discovered that Murn must have set the woman on fire thinking she was his cousin and said the two women looked similar, the complaint said.

Using surveillance video, officers discovered Murn was using a rental car. Murn was located at Goerke’s Corners Park and Ride located at 400 N. Barker Road in Brookfield.

A traffic stop was done by the police. Murn was extremely uncooperative, according to the complaint. Murn's breath smelled of intoxicants and he was arrested for OWI first offense, the complaint said.

Police found a bottle of whiskey in the car along with a gray zip up sweatshirt, a red baseball cap, and a firearm, according to the complaint.