A Livermore Falls woman who nearly died after being set on fire in her home in Decatur, Alabama, in 2023, has filed a civil suit accusing her then-husband of the attack that left her permanently disfigured and dependent on round-the-clock care.
In a federal complaint filed Wednesday in Maine’s U.S. District Court, Anna Willis accused Riley Herbert Willis III of assault, domestic violence and intentional infliction of emotional distress. She is seeking compensatory and punitive damages for the injuries she suffered in the August 2023 attack.
The civil suit, which will play out in Maine, follows a criminal case underway in Alabama, where Riley Willis continues to be held without bail on charges of first-degree arson and first-degree domestic violence.
Because they are from different states — Anna Willis lives in Maine and Riley Willis remains jailed in Alabama — the suit is filed under a “diversity of citizenship” jurisdiction. This draws on Alabama’s civil statutes that allow victims of felony assault and domestic violence to pursue civil cases when a criminal conviction has not occurred.
The complaint alleges Anna Willis was asleep around 3 a.m. on Aug. 8, 2023, when Riley Willis poured an accelerant over her body and bed and lit them on fire. She suffered third- and fourth-degree burns to over 60% of her body. She narrowly survived due to quick action from her adult son, who was in the apartment, and attempted to smother the flames with his clothes.
The complaint described the attack as “heinous, evil, abhorrent, unprovoked, and violent,” alleging Riley Willis carried out his actions intentionally, maliciously and without warning.
When first responders and police arrived, Riley Willis was discovered in a nearby apartment. He has been in a Morgan County Jail since.
At the time of the alleged attack, Anna Willis had recently moved to Alabama with her husband and worked full-time at a local Wolverine Industries facility. The complaint said she was attempting to start a new chapter in her life; now she is unable to work or care for herself and has undergone over 20 surgeries to treat her injuries.
She is receiving care in a residential health facility in western Maine. Her parents are seeking a long-term solution in a specialized burn care facility, where, her attorney noted, she faces an indefinite recovery timeline and daily “excruciating, constant pain.”
The complaint also said the alleged attack caused not only physical harm, but emotional ruin, embarrassment and disfigurement that has left her isolated and dependent.
Anna Willis is represented by attorney Stephen C. Smith of Augusta, who filed the complaint Wednesday and requested a jury trial.
