Martha Carolyn Dreher: Arsonist Babysitter Burns House Over ‘Bad’ Kids


Martha Carolyn Dreher allegedly set a house aflame early this month and was arrested on arson charges. And the reason the babysitter burned down her employer’s Texas home will shock you: she had a beef with the man’s pre-teen girls over their disrespectful behavior.

Dreher, 57, was arrested Thursday for allegedly torching the home of a man who hired the nanny to care for his four children: two girls and 5-year-old twin boys. Fire investigators say the disgruntled woman intentionally set the man’s home alight, according to ABC News.

Martha Carolyn Dreher’s employer, Glenn Williams, was away from the home, and enjoying a vacation with his two daughters at the time of the incident. Meanwhile, the babysitter was left to watch over his boys, who were at another location with her, presumably her home.

On the day of the blaze, Dreher, with the boys in tow, drove over to Williams’ home at RM 2222 under the guise of “getting popcorn” to watch a movie. Martha Dreherentered the home and left the twins in the car. There, she spent some 30 minutes inside the residence. And a short time later, the home was in flames.

CCTV footage showed the nanny and boys departing the home at the time flames overtook the man’s 90-year-old home. However, the woman supposedly denied seeing flames when she arrived at the home for “popcorn,” but she did see a light on in one of the bedrooms.

Incidentally, arson investigators found broken eggs in the girls’ bedrooms and concluded the location for the source of the flames came from the beds.

The homeowner weighed in on Dreher’s arrest.

It was definitely a vendetta against the two girls.”

And based on an interview the babysitter had with investigators, it appears Martha Carolyn Dreher indirectly corroborated his take on a possible motive. On the day of the arrest, the woman told police she informed Williams that she had plans to stop caring for his daughters due to their unruly behavior towards her. She contended that the preteen girls were hard to control, lacked respect and suffered from a litany of disciplinary problems.

This odd news story reads like a page out of a Twilight Zone episode, and is quite the challenge to understand why someone would be so upset that they would torch a home. Thankfully, the man’s older son was not at home at the time.

Now, the family is tasked with tearing down or rebuilding the historical home. As for the accused woman, she plead not guilty to arson charges.

There is no mention of Martha Carolyn Dreher having a history of mental disorders, or if she was impaired at the time of the blaze. Nonetheless, prosecutors are likely exploring that angle should her case, which could land her behind bars for 99-years, goes to court.

[Image: ABC News via YouTube]

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