Exclusive: Suspect sent burn victim's friend eerie text

Thursday, November 19, 2009

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Laura April says she received this text message from the suspect minutes before authorities say he doused his wife with an accelerant and set her on fire.

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- The best friend of a woman authorities say was doused with an accelerant and set on fire says the suspect sent her an eerie text message with the tone of a suicide note.

Chris Hanney is accused of setting his wife, 26-year-old Audrey Mabrey, on fire and burning down their Apollo Beach home Tuesday.

Laura April says she and her boyfriend received the text at the same time, just minutes before the incident happened.

April says Hanney sent the following message: "I'm sorry 4 all ive done. Now i am that monster she made me out 2 b. I love u all. GOD BLESS. Its time i met my fate. Good bye"

April says the message came at 2:26 p.m.

"I called him, my boyfriend called him, I called Audrey, we text him, nothing," she said. "So, then I knew instantly something was wrong."

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Mabrey worked at a Chili's in Brandon and recently got an apartment of her own.

The couple had a big fight in October but April never expected this.

"They seemed to be working through this separation, soon to be divorce, pretty good," she said. "They were getting along really well."

Mabrey went through hours of surgery Thursday. She has serious burns to her body and is still at Tampa General Hospital in critical condition.

Those who know her describe her as a fighter. Her distraught mother is traveling from Texas to be by her side.

"I love my daughter and we'll keep praying she'll pull through," said Lisa Brown by phone.

The couple have two boys, ages 11 months and 4 years old.

The couple's two boys, ages 11 months and 4 years old, were with a babysitter at the time of the incident. At this point, she is still caring for them.

Hanney will be held under no bond until his next appearance, scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24.

Coworkers at Chili's are trying to raise money for Mabrey. In the meantime, one of her neighbors opened a trust fund at any Bank of America in c/o "Audrey Mabrey and children fund."

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