Woman accused of lighting husband on fire

A Keavy man is in critical condition after police say his wife doused him with gasoline and set him on fire in the midst of a domestic dispute Monday night.

Laurel County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the scene on Woodland Court off of Paris Karr Road about 8 p.m.

Vera Wooten is charged with assault for allegedly setting her husband on fire.

However, both the husband and wife, identified as John and Vera Wooten, had left the scene as she drove him to St. Joseph –– London Hospital for treatment of what police described as severe burns over 50 percent of his body.

“He is burned from his knees to his neck,” said Deputy Gilbert Acciardo, the department’s public affairs officer.

John Wooten was later airlifted to the Cincinnati burn center by a specially equipped helicopter dispatched by the burn center.

Remnants of John Wooten’s clothing, including his shoes and the smoldering shirt, were left lying outside the trailer that neighbors said the couple was refurbishing.

Acciardo said it was unknown what the couple had been arguing about or how the gasoline became involved.

Neighbors at the scene said John Wooten had been talking with a female neighbor and that Vera Wooten had become jealous.

Deputies contacted Vera at the hospital and brought her to the sheriff’s office to conduct and interview after which she was arrested on one count of first-degree assault.

“The gist of the information that she gave to deputies was that it was an accident,” Acciardo said.

Vera Wooten is scheduled to be arraigned today in Laurel District Court.

She is being held without bond in the Laurel County Correctional Center.

Detective Kyle Gray is continuing the investigation.

Gray was assisted at the scene by Detective Chris Edwards, Sgt. Robbie Grimes and deputies Travis Napier, Daniel Grigsby, Taylor McDaniel and Court Security Officer Brent France.

Keavy Volunteer Fire Department and Ambulance Inc. of Laurel County also responded to the scene.