WAYNE COUNTY, KY – A man from Wayne County has been taken into custody, accused of killing his mother and setting her residence on fire, according to information from Kentucky State Police.
The Wayne County Fire Department made the grim discovery of a woman’s body, believed to be 64-year-old Mary J. Fulton of Monticello, after responding to a blaze at a home situated on Old Springs Road.
The authorities have reported that her son, Joseph K. Fulton, 43, has allegedly confessed to the crime, claiming he shot his mother and then started the fire that engulfed her home.
The sequence of events began early Friday morning when Wayne County 911 sought assistance from the Kentucky State Police around 1 a.m. regarding the unfolding situation. As the investigation continued, authorities utilized social media to canvass for public assistance in tracking down Fulton, who resided with his mother but was absent when first responders arrived at the scene.
Firefighters from Monticello were dispatched to the site shortly before 1 a.m. due to reports of a fire, which resulted in part of the house collapsing. During their efforts to control the fire, they discovered a body inside, prompting the involvement of the Wayne County Coroner’s Office.
Authorities described Fulton as having brown eyes, standing six feet tall, with a weight of about 150 pounds. At the time he was last seen, he was reportedly wearing a dark-colored shirt and blue jeans. He may have been operating a 2008 gray or tan Dodge Nitro with a Kentucky license plate BHH801, registered under his mother’s name.
In their search for Fulton, the Kentucky State Police encouraged anyone with information about his whereabouts to come forward. The case, now marked by his arrest, continues its course through the judicial system as details unfold.
Joseph Fulton was apprehended just after 8:30 p.m. on Friday. He now faces charges of murder and first-degree arson. Earlier in the day, before his arrest, law enforcement expressed urgency in locating Fulton. At that time, he was labeled as armed and dangerous, prompting a search effort by the police, who also held an active arrest warrant for him.
