Authorities say the victim was trying to force her son out before the attack.
JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. — An effort by a Washington County woman to make her adult son leave her home came before an alleged gasoline attack that set her and the house on fire, authorities said.
The case against Dustin Tayler Machen, 32, centers on what investigators describe as a family dispute that turned into an attempted murder and arson case on April 9. The woman survived with burns to her arms after escaping to a neighbor’s house to call 911. Machen was arrested nearby and later appeared in court, where a preliminary hearing was postponed for a mental evaluation request.
Washington County Sheriff Keith Sexton framed the beginning of the case around the attempted removal from the home. “She was in the process of evicting her son, Dustin Machen,” Sexton said. The sheriff said Machen left the residence and returned with a container of gasoline. Investigators said he poured gasoline on the woman and the house, then set the fire as she tried to leave. The account places the alleged attack inside a tense domestic setting rather than in a random encounter. It also makes the eviction dispute a key part of the motive authorities have described. Officials have not publicly released documents showing whether the eviction was formal, informal or still at an early stage.
The home was on South Pickens Bridge Road in Washington County, in the Johnson City area. Deputies were called there the morning of April 9 after a report that a person and a house were on fire. By the time they reached the property, the structure was fully engulfed, authorities said. The woman told investigators that Machen threw gasoline on her and the house while she was trying to leave. She also said he destroyed her cellphone so she could not call 911. She managed to get out, reach a neighbor and make the call from that home. That act changed the direction of the case, because the victim became the first direct source for deputies after surviving the fire.
The charges reflect several parts of that account. Attempted first-degree murder addresses the allegation that Machen tried to kill his mother. Aggravated arson addresses the burning of the home. Attempted especially aggravated kidnapping suggests authorities believe the victim’s ability to leave was attacked or restricted during the incident. Aggravated burglary and interference with a 911 call cover other alleged conduct before and during the fire. Machen was booked into the Washington County Detention Center after his arrest. A judge later set his bond at $2 million. Authorities and court reports have not confirmed whether he has retained or been appointed a lawyer to comment on the charges.
Investigators did not end their work at the burned house. Sexton said deputies used a drone and located a backpack containing personal items and other things. Machen was found in a field near the fire. The sheriff said he was watching the flames when deputies saw him. That detail became one of the most striking parts of the public account because it placed the accused man near the burning property after the victim had already fled. Officials have not publicly released the contents of the backpack, the results of any accelerant testing or a full fire scene report. Those items may become important if the case moves beyond the preliminary stage.
The relationship between Machen and his mother has also become part of the public record through statements about earlier cases. Sexton said Machen had prior domestic violence charges involving his mother. Prosecutors also referred in court to previous allegations at the same house, including an aggravated assault matter. Local court coverage reported that an assistant district attorney said Machen had previously been found not guilty by reason of insanity in a domestic violence case. That background may help explain why prosecutors sought a mental evaluation after the April 9 charges, though it does not resolve the current allegations. The new case must still proceed through its own hearings, evidence and legal standards.
On April 23, Machen appeared in Washington County court for what had been set as a preliminary hearing. The state asked for the hearing to be postponed so a mental evaluation could take place. A preliminary hearing can decide whether probable cause exists to send charges to a grand jury or higher court action. The postponement means that question has not yet been answered publicly. It also means the case remains in an early procedural stage, despite the seriousness of the charges. Officials had not announced a new preliminary hearing date or a completed evaluation result as of May 4.
The victim’s condition remains only partly described in public reports. Authorities said she suffered burns to her arms and was transported for medical treatment. Later reports said she was flown to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Her name has not been released, and officials have not given a detailed update on her recovery. The house, however, was described as completely engulfed when deputies arrived and destroyed in later local coverage. The burned property is now both a crime scene and a symbol of the family conflict prosecutors say preceded the fire. The neighbor’s house where the 911 call was made remains a key location in the timeline.
The case stands with Machen facing five felony charges and a delayed preliminary hearing. The next public development is expected to come from the mental evaluation process or a new court date in Washington County.
Author note: Last updated May 4, 2026.