Nathan MadduxA Bradley County Jail inmate has been charged with 53 counts of aggravated arson in an attempted escape.
Bradley County Sheriff's Office personnel found what appeared to be a pen-sized hole burned into a recently replaced window in Nathan Maddux's cell, according to court records. The hole had a melted substance around it.
Maddux, 24, was the only inmate assigned to that cell.
Personnel continued searching the cell and found what appeared to be two makeshift candles, the records state. They were hidden next to the toilet and behind a trash can, and they both appeared to have been burnt.
Also found was a pair of jail-issued brown uniform pants that were cut or ripped to make shorts, court records show. A makeshift pillow and rope-like items made from torn sheets were also found, as well as a metal object that appeared to be a piece of a cable clamp.
Maddux was charged with the 53 counts of aggravated arson because, at the time the items were found, there were 52 inmates in the pod, in addition to one deputy conducting the search.
Aggravated arson means one or more persons were present when the arson was allegedly committed, according to Tennessee law.
Maddux has also been charged with one count of vandalism over $1,000 and attempted escape.