Investigators say emergency calls, survivor statements and fire-scene evidence point to an intentionally set blaze.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — A probable cause affidavit in a Monroe County arson case describes a desperate 911 call, the smell of gasoline and a burned survivor’s statements before three women died from a January house fire.
The affidavit, described in local court reporting, is now a central piece of the case against Braydon Richard Blake, 28. He is accused of starting the Jan. 18 fire that killed his grandmother, Mary Blake, 74, along with Paula Anderson, 53, and Anderson’s daughter, Kristine Rowan, 33. Gabriella Anderson, 18, survived with serious burns. Prosecutors have moved to charge Blake with three counts of murder, three counts of felony murder and arson resulting in serious bodily injury.
The first record was the call for help. Monroe County Central Dispatch received a 911 call around 2:40 a.m. from a phone linked to one of the victims, according to the affidavit. A woman could be heard in distress saying someone was pouring gasoline around the house and saying “kill me.” Another woman then spoke to dispatchers and said the house was on fire. She also said one of the victims had identified Braydon Blake. Those words gave first responders a fire call and a suspect name before the scene was secure.
When deputies reached the 3800 block of East Anderson Road, they saw flames and a vehicle driven into the attached garage. The affidavit says the vehicle was a black Ford Edge registered to Blake. The garage and home were burning as firefighters began rescue work. Deputies found Gabriella Anderson outside with severe burns. Another badly burned victim made statements to EMS workers while being transported from the scene, saying “Blake” poured gasoline on them and lit them on fire, according to the affidavit. The same victim also reported being sexually assaulted. Police have not publicly announced a separate charge based on that claim.
Firefighters later removed Mary Blake and Rowan from inside the home. Rowan was pronounced dead at the scene. Mary Blake was taken to IU Health Bloomington Hospital and later died. Paula Anderson was critically injured and taken for burn treatment. She died Feb. 4 at Eskenazi Hospital in Indianapolis. A forensic pathologist found that Mary Blake and Rowan died from thermal injuries and inhalation of products of combustion, and their deaths were ruled homicides. Anderson’s death expanded the number of victims in the criminal case. Gabriella Anderson’s injuries became the basis for the arson charge alleging serious bodily injury.
The physical evidence described in the affidavit included a plastic can near the dining area that held liquid with an odor consistent with gasoline. Investigators also noted a gasoline odor near a recliner in the living room. Those details match the emergency call and survivor statements that alleged an accelerant had been poured in the house. The affidavit does not publicly answer every question about the ignition point, burn pattern or full fire spread. Those findings may come through fire marshal testimony, lab reports or later court filings. For now, prosecutors are using the affidavit to show probable cause that the fire was intentionally set.
Neighbors also became part of the record. The affidavit says investigators interviewed neighbors who reported that a victim reached their porch and said Braydon had set the fire. The victim said he had threatened to burn down the house if she did not have sex with him, according to the affidavit. A neighbor later told a Bloomington news outlet that the scene was chaotic and that Paula Anderson stayed focused on others, naming where people were inside the house and calling for her daughter. “Paula was brave that night,” the neighbor said in the account, describing Anderson as gravely injured but still trying to help.
Deputies searched the property while firefighters worked. Reports citing the affidavit say a tracking dog and drone were used to look for Blake after witnesses identified him as the suspected arsonist. About an hour after the first emergency calls, deputies found him about 250 yards behind the home in a wooded area. He had significant burn injuries. Blake was taken to IU Health Bloomington Hospital and later transferred to Eskenazi Hospital in Indianapolis. His injuries kept him in hospital care for weeks, and sheriff’s personnel stayed there for about a month to provide security while the investigation continued.
The hospital period later produced a dispute over custody. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said its staff were eventually prohibited from being in or around Blake’s room and moved to a place where they could no longer keep direct watch. The sheriff’s office said an agreement was reached with Eskenazi that deputies would be notified when Blake was released. Officials said Blake was released April 1 without that notice. The sheriff’s office said it learned April 9 that he was gone, then worked with Indiana State Police and the U.S. Marshals Service to locate him. He was arrested April 10 in Avon.
Blake was booked into the Monroe County Jail the evening of April 10. At an April 13 initial hearing, prosecutors moved to amend the charges to three murder counts, three felony murder counts and one arson count tied to serious bodily injury. The prosecutor also filed to seek life without parole. A judge ordered Blake held without bond and appointed a public defender. His next court appearance is set for May 20, and a jury trial has been tentatively scheduled for Sept. 26. Blake has not been convicted. The affidavit supports the arrest, but a jury would have to decide guilt if the case goes to trial.
The people killed in the fire had lived in a home shaped by illness, disability and caregiving. Mary Blake had cancer, according to local reporting. Rowan lived with cerebral palsy and was bedridden, according to family members. Paula Anderson was Rowan’s mother and a certified nursing assistant who cared for Rowan and Mary Blake. Family statements said Gabriella Anderson suffered serious burns while surviving the fire. Lindsey Pesonen, Anderson’s sister, wrote that the fire took Mary Blake and her niece Kristine Rowan. “In a matter of moments, we lost our family member, and everything they owned was reduced to ashes,” she wrote.
The case also brought renewed attention to Blake’s prior court history. Local reports citing Monroe County records said he was sentenced in 2018 in a burglary case but entered drug court, where successful completion could have changed the case outcome. He was later removed after violations and sent to prison. In 2022, he entered re-entry court, then was terminated from that program in 2023 and ordered back to prison for 900 days. State prison records cited in local reports say he was released in summer 2024. Those records do not prove the arson allegations, but they help place Blake in the justice system before the fatal fire.
Investigators have not publicly released all forensic results or a complete motive statement. The affidavit links the alleged gasoline, 911 call, survivor statements, neighbor accounts, vehicle crash and Blake’s location in the woods. Prosecutors will need to connect those pieces in court while the defense tests the state’s evidence. The deaths of three women, the survival of an 18-year-old and the hospital release issue have made the case one of Monroe County’s most closely watched criminal matters this spring.
As of May 5, Blake was being held without bond. The next known step is the May 20 hearing, with the tentative jury trial still listed for Sept. 26.
Author note: Last updated May 5, 2026.