Affidavit details murder allegations against Braydon Blake in deadly Jan. 18 fire

Staff report

Bloomington, Ind. – April 13, 2026

A Monroe County man accused in a January house fire that killed two women and critically injured two others now faces allegations in a case that later claimed a third life, according to a probable cause affidavit and an update from the Monroe County coroner.

The Bloomingtonian received the affidavit Monday morning.

Braydon R. Blake is formally charged with two counts of murder and two counts of arson in connection with the Jan. 18 fire at 3811 E. Anderson Road, according to a probable cause affidavit. The affidavit says Monroe County Central Dispatch received a 911 call around 2:40 a.m. from a phone linked to one of the victims. During the call, a woman could be heard in distress saying someone was pouring gasoline around the house and using the words “kill me.” Another woman who got on the line told dispatch the house was on fire and that one of the victims identified the suspect as Braydon Blake.

According to the affidavit, when deputies arrived they found the home actively on fire and a black Ford Edge registered to Blake had been driven through the garage door and into the garage. A woman identified as Gabriella Anderson was found outside with severe burns. Firefighters later removed two victims from inside the home: Mary Blake, who was transported to IU Health Bloomington and later died, and Kristine Rowan, who was pronounced dead at the scene.

The affidavit says 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. That victim also reported being sexually assaulted, according to the affidavit. Investigators later interviewed neighbors. The neighbors who told detectives the victim reached their porch and said Braydon had set the fire and threatened to burn down the house if she did not have sex with him. The affidavit states the victim’s clothing was ripped and that she repeatedly said she had been raped.

Deputies used a tracking dog and drone to search for Blake and found him about 250 yards behind the home in a wooded area, suffering from significant burn injuries, the affidavit says. Investigators later found a plastic can near the dining area containing liquid with an odor consistent with gasoline and another area near a recliner in the living room that also smelled like gasoline. A Monroe Fire Protection District Deputy Chief told investigators he believed the fire was caused by arson, according to the document.

The affidavit says Mary Blake used a wheelchair for mobility and was described by a family member as bedridden. Rowan also was bedridden, according to the affidavit, and an in-home nurse told investigators she had spinal muscular atrophy, cerebral palsy and could not move on her own. Autopsies later determined both women died from thermal injuries and inhalation of combustion products, and their deaths were ruled homicides.

In an update emailed Feb. 6, Monroe County Coroner Jeff Hall said a third victim, Paula Anderson, 53, of Bloomington, died Feb. 4 at Eskenazi Hospital from injuries sustained in the fire. Hall said an autopsy had been scheduled to help determine her cause of death and said the investigation remained active and ongoing involving multiple agencies.

The affidavit notes that, at the time it was filed, the investigation remained ongoing and allegations of sexual and physical assault were still under investigation, with additional affidavits or information potentially to be filed later.

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