Updated 06/30/2009 05:18 PM
Authorities charge husband with murder of wife, arson
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ALAMANCE COUNTY, N.C. – The Alamance County Sheriff's Office arrested the husband of a woman killed in a house fire over the weekend.
Mark Keith Porter
Police say Lisa May Porter died after being stabbed by her husband, 41-year-old Mark Keith Porter. They say he then set the couple's home on fire.
“He is in custody and formally charged with two very, very serious crimes,” Alamance County Sheriff Terry Johnson said.
Police say the coroner's report will show Lisa Porter was stabbed at least twice in the chest.
Monday around 6:40 p.m., Mark Porter turned himself in at a northern Alamance convenience store.
“Alamance County detectives, after interviewing Mr. Porter, filed charges of first-degree arson and first-degree murder, that of Mrs. Porter,” Johnson said.
Police say through the interview they discovered he also set his Camaro on fire in a wooded area off of Highway 49.
“The vehicle was found in a very remote location off of Keck Road. It had been completely burned inside and out.” Alamance County Fire Marshall David Leonard said. “We conducted a preliminary investigation there on the scene of this vehicle and brought it back into storage to conduct further investigation on it today and that's ongoing now as we speak.”
The sheriff's office wouldn't comment on any domestic violence in Porter's past. However, a 2002 arrest warrant shows he threatened his former wife by saying, "I'm gonna kill you," and "I'm gonna burn your house down."
“This is a prime example of how domestic violence escalates, a lot of times into a homicide,” Johnson said.
Porter had his first appearance in court Tuesday afternoon. He's being held under no bond.