WYLIE, Texas — It is tough for Misty Gilmore to set foot inside her Wylie home. The house she lovingly built, raised her daughters in, and recently paid off is now a mostly charred-out shell of a home.
The devastating fire broke out in the front left room of the house while Misty was away. She and police believe the ex-boyfriend, Kevin Ragsdale, was inside and started the fire. Misty and Kevin had been together for eight months, a relationship marked by good times but also struggles with addiction and mental health.
Wylie Police has charged Ragsdale with arson and violating conditions of his bond. Police tell WFAA that Gilmore had a protective order against Ragsdale which kept him from communicating with her or being on her property.
"He took away my ability to love people even when they don't deserve it," said Misty.
According to the Wylie Police Department, officers had responded to Misty's residence nine times since 2024, all for domestic violence incidents. Police and Misty also confirmed that Ragsdale had spent 12 years in prison for a prior conviction.
But last Tuesday was different. As captured in a chilling video, Kevin Ragsdale stood in front of the camera, turned toward the home, and uttered a single word: "Burn!" Misty later showed WFAA images that Kevin had allegedly sent her, including one of a gas can placed near her bedroom.
"When we arrived the next-door neighbor was attempting to put out the fire in that front window with a water hose," said Officer Alexandra Waters with Wylie Police.
The fire likely resulted in a total loss of the home, and to make matters worse, Misty's insurance had lapsed.
“We’re gonna make it through it. It’s gonna be okay,” Misty's daughter Rebecca Johnson said.
Kevin’s anger, Misty believes, stemmed from the fact that she was not home but away with her daughter out of state. “My priority will always be my children,” she emphasized. Misty says she saw all the red flags for abuse but ignored them because she felt she could 'help' him.
On Tuesday Misty and her daughter were able to recover some photo albums and cherished mementos from the fire.
“I didn’t want to look because I thought they were destroyed,” Misty admitted, relieved to find that not everything was lost.
Despite the tragedy, Misty hopes to rebuild her home one day. For now, she is focused on her children and rebuilding the pieces of her life that remain. The family has organized a GoFundMe to help pay for repairs to the home.