The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

July 19, 2012

Drug deal goes awry; man bound, burned

By Tom Davidson -----

FARRELL — A 19-year-old Farrell man was found Monday night, standing along a rural Indiana County road in his underwear, with duct tape on his neck and burns on his arms.

State police were called at 9:18 p.m. and found Thomas Alexander Pierce III along state Route 286 near the village of Jacksonville, southeast of Indiana.

Police could smell “some type of accelerant” and saw residue indicating he had been bound with tape.

Pierce told police he’d been kidnapped by Marlena Lynn Jones, 34, of Homestead, and a man whom police didn’t identify.

Pierce said he’d originally accompanied Jones and the man on a trip to Pittsburgh to buy cocaine from a man Pierce knew, he told police.

They bought the cocaine and Jones and the man tried to “cook” the cocaine and became angry when it wouldn’t cook.

They took Pierce’s cell phone and drove him to an apartment in Homestead, where he said he was stripped of his clothes.

A sock was stuffed into his mouth; his mouth, neck, wrists and ankles were bound with duct tape; and he was forced into a laundry basket, Pierce told police.

They took him to Indiana County close to the spot where he was found, took him out of the vehicle, poured lighter fluid on him, tried to shoot him wih a gun that jammed and then set him on fire, Pierce said.

He rolled on the ground to extinguish the flames and was able to escape. Pierce was taken to Indiana Hospital for treatment of a burn to his left elbow, police said.

Jones was charged Tuesday with attempted homicide, kidnapping, aggravated assault, unlawful restraint, simple assault and reckless endangering.

District Judge Jennifer Rega, Blairsville, arraigned Jones and set bond at $500,000.

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