Woman searching for bystanders who saved daughter from burning home after gruesome attack

“God bless you, and I will reach out to you once my family finds out who you are,” Tina said. “Our family is so grateful for y’all because I wouldn’t have her today.”
A Dickson woman's life is forever changed following a gruesome attack on Monday.
Published: Jul. 4, 2024 at 11:27 AM CDT

DICKSON, Tenn. (WSMV) - The family of the woman who was brutally attacked is looking for an Alabama duo who saved her from a house fire on Monday.

Tessa Trotter is recovering at Vanderbilt University Medical Center after she was allegedly stabbed by her husband, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Not only is 28-year-old Zachary Mowel accused of stabbing her, but the TBI says he also doused her with gasoline and set their home on fire.

First responders were called out to the 1200 block of North Charlotte Street in Dickson for reports of a house fire. Tessa explained to her mother, Tina Trotter, what happened Monday night as she was lying nearly unrecognizable from injuries in a hospital bed.

“The boys were sitting right there, my grandsons, and he grabbed her arm and stabbed her,” Tina said. “She told Jackson, her oldest child, to go call 911, and he wouldn’t let him do it.”

Tessa told her mom that Mowel allegedly grabbed their kids and put them in his truck. That’s when the TBI says he set their home on fire.

“He promised me he would never do that, and then to do this in front of the boys,” Tina said. “I don’t know. That’s why I can’t get my head around it.”

Tessa is recovering at VUMC, but she’s now paralyzed from the waist down and suffered severe third-degree burns. Tina believes there are two reasons her daughter is alive: she’s a fighter and two bystanders driving by saved her. She said that a duo from Alabama was in the area checking out a Facebook Marketplace item, saw the smoke, rushed inside and put out the fire consuming Tessa.

“God bless you, and I will reach out to you once my family finds out who you are,” Tina said. “Our family is so grateful for y’all because I wouldn’t have her today.”

Mowel allegedly returned to the scene of the crime and was arrested by law enforcement as firefighters were fighting the fire. He’s facing multiple charges including attempted murder, aggravated arson and domestic assault. He was booked in the Dickson County Jail on a $765,000 bond.

The family has set up a GoFundMe to help offset hospital costs for Tessa.

If you know the people who stepped in, or you have an idea of who they are, you can reach out to Steve Mehling at steve.mehling@wsmv.com or news@wsmv.com.