Gladys George
An Ooltewah woman testified Tuesday that her son's girlfriend told her they had no regrets for trying to kill her by setting her house on fire.
Paula K. Shouse said she asked Gladys George, "You tried to kill me" and she replied, "Yes, we did."
She said she asked Ms. George, "Do you regret what you did" and she answered, "No, not at all."
Ms. Shouse also said the only reason she did not perish in the fire was that a large dog she owned fell against her bedroom door with a thud while dying, causing small dogs in her bedroom to start barking and awakening her.
General Sessions Court Judge Clarence Shattuck bound charges against Ms. George and Johnny Shouse to the Grand Jury for the Jan. 6 incident.
Judge Shattuck told attorneys who were arguing for a lower bond, "Doesn't it make a difference that this was done to someone who bore you in her belly for nine months?"
He set bond for Shouse at $2 million and for Ms. George at $1,250,000. Shrouse had been at $3,575,000 and Ms. George at $3,125,000.
Detective Charles Sledge said both defendants confessed after driving to Louisiana in Ms. Shouse's vehicle.
He said Shouse said they wanted to leave and "drop off the grid" and they felt they had to get rid of the mother in order to do so.
The detective said they told of spreading gasoline throughout the house at 8528 Ooltewah-Georgetown Road, stopping just short of the door of Ms. Shouse, who slept in a back bedroom.
Ms. Shouse, an employee at the Silverdale Workhouse, said that night several very unusual things happened just before she went to bed. She said her son embraced her and put his head on her shoulder. She said Ms. George called her from the front of the house to ask if she was in bed.
Ms. Shouse said she found that her bedroom door was locked. But she was able to make it out another way.
She said she went to the home of neighbor Barbara Parris and used her phone. She said her texts with Ms. George discussing the setting of the fire were later shown to the detective.
Ms. Shouse said her son has mental problems and had been to several local treatment facilities over the years.
She said there was heavy damage to her part of the house and smoke and water damage to the front so it was declared a total loss.
Both defendants are charged with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated arson and theft over $1,000. Shouse is also charged with violating the Sex Offender Registry and violating sex offender monitoring.
Shouse earlier got an eight-year sentence on a sex charge involving a minor.
Prosecutor Lance Pope said they face 15-25 years in prison on the most serious charge.
Johnny Shouse is at right