Man pleads guilty in Christmas arson, attempted murder

26-year-old man lit 40-year-old woman on fire, court documents show

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A 26-year-old man pleaded guilty this week to charges of attempted murder, arson, burglary and stalking in connection with a fire set at a Normandy Boulevard apartment on Christmas Day that left a woman in critical condition.

Roderick Maurice Edwards was charged with attempted first-degree felony murder, first-degree arson, two counts of burglary with assault or battery, and aggravated stalking. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison for each of the first four counts and five years in prison for the fifth count. The sentences run concurrently.

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On Christmas morning 2014, a fire was reported at the victim's apartment. When authorities arrived, they found the victim suffering from severe burns, which covered a significant portion of her upper body. She was taken to the burn unit at UF Health Hospital in Gainesville.

Police said the victim's daughter, who also lives at the apartment, is a former girlfriend of Edwards and that he had kicked in the door of the apartment earlier that day. The victim had obtained a protective order against Edwards the previous week, which ordered him to stay away from their home.

Detectives said at the time that they believed the suspicious fire was linked to domestic issues, telling News4Jax that officers had been called to the apartment for disturbances before.

The State Attorney's Office said that the investigation showed Edwards had a history of violence involving the 40-year-old victim and her daughter. The SAO said on the morning of the fire, Edwards showed up at the victim's home, kicked down the door and poured gasoline on the victim. Edwards then lit her on fire before fleeing the scene.

Edwards turned himself into police later that day.