KINGSPORT — A Model City woman was charged Tuesday with the first-degree murder of her mother, who died in a fire over the weekend.
Joie T. Dawes, 43, also faces charges of aggravated arson and tampering with evidence, according to a Kingsport Police Department press release.
Her mother, Martha A. Dozier, 65, was killed in the fire that happened at their home on Westmoreland Avenue, the KPD said.
Dozier’s body was taken to the William L. Jenkins Forensic Center at ETSU for an autopsy.
According to the release, first responders from the Kingsport fire and police departments responded to a structure fire around 6 p.m. Saturday.
The residence was fully involved, and investigators located the body of Dozier after the fire was extinguished.
Authorities said the fire appeared suspicious early on in the investigation due to Dawes leaving the home just moments before the blaze erupted.
The Kingsport Fire Marshal’s Office and the KPD Criminal Investigation Division found probable cause for an arrest due to speaking with Dawes and a thorough investigation of the scene, authorities said.
Dawes has been booked into the Kingsport City Jail and is now awaiting transport to the Sullivan County Jail to await arraignment.
At this time, investigators do not plan on releasing the cause of Dozier’s death or the motive behind the alleged murder, according to the release.
