Tennessee woman who was stabbed, set on fire and left to die ‘by her husband’ is miraculously saved by two mysterious good Samaritans
A Tennessee mother is fighting for her life after being rescued by bystanders when her husband allegedly stabbed her and set her on fire.
Tessa Mowel was rescued by two good Samaritans on Monday when they found her burning and suffering from multiple stab wounds in her Dickson home.
Her husband, 28-year-old Zachary Mowel, is accused of attacking Tessa, dousing her with gasoline and then setting fire to their home at 1200 North Charlotte Street, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said.
Tessa told her family the painful details of the attack from her hospital bed, saying her two children witnessed the attack.
“This all happened with their 5-year-old and 8-year-old sons watching and begging for their father not to kill their mother,” Tessa’s twin sister Tori Ila Elizabeth Trotter said in a GoFundMe for her recovery.
Tessa Mowel was rescued by two bystanders when they found her on fire and with multiple stab wounds in her home
Tessa has nine stab wounds, all of her ribs are broken, a collapsed lung, her entire right leg has severe third-degree burns and she is paralyzed from the waist down.
The family alleges Zachary stabbed Tessa in the back with a kitchen knife and then slashed her eight times in the neck, chest and back, while punching her in the face more than 30 times.
Tessa has nine stab wounds, all of her ribs are broken, a collapsed lung, her entire right leg has severe third-degree burns and she is paralyzed from the waist down.
“The boys were sitting there, my grandchildren, and he grabbed her arm and stabbed her,” her mother Tina Trotter said. WSMV.
“She told Jackson, her oldest child, to call 911, but he wouldn’t let her.”
Two strangers from Alabama happened to be driving by to check out a Facebook Marketplace item nearby when they noticed smoke coming from the house.
Her husband, 28-year-old Zachary Mowel (pictured), has been charged with attempted murder, domestic battery and attempted arson for the attack
Court documents say Zachary returned to the scene in the 1200 block of North Charlotte Street (pictured) and approached one of the officers on the scene and said, “I did it. It was me.”
“God bless you, and I will contact you as soon as my family finds out who you are. Our family is so thankful for all of you because I wouldn’t have her today,” Tina said.
Zachary reportedly returned to the home while firefighters were extinguishing the fire and subsequently confessed to the crime.
According to court documents viewed by WKRNThe 28-year-old approached one of the officers on the scene and said, “I did it. It was me.”
He was charged with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated arson, aggravated assault (domestic) and domestic battery. He is being held in the Dickson County Jail on $765,000 bail.
The attack has shocked the family, as her twin sister claimed Tessa wanted to divorce her husband.
Tessa told her family the painful details of the attack from her hospital bed and said her two children witnessed the attack
In the most recent health update her twin sister Tori received, Tessa is hoping to be moved to a trauma room and out of intensive care so she can see her children.
“He’s never been physical with her. He’s been emotionally abusive to her,” Tori said.
“She filed for divorce back in May. She called a lawyer that morning and made an appointment, and none of us expected this, not this.”
In Tori’s most recent health update, Tessa hopes to be transferred to a trauma room and out of the intensive care unit so she can see her children.
“She can move her left leg a little bit, but she has no feeling in it. Her right leg is completely paralyzed and her waist as well,” Tori said.
“She’s getting more skin grafts on her leg next week. She’s doing great. She just misses her boys so much and hates being there alone most of the time.”
