Investigators say Shannon Stork admitted using rubbing alcohol and a flame after earlier describing the apartment fire as an accident.
MIAMI — A 62-year-old Florida woman has been charged with second-degree murder and arson more than two years after authorities say she intentionally set her romantic partner on fire during a Valentine’s Day dispute inside their Miami apartment.
Shannon Felice Stork was arrested July 22 after detectives interviewed her at the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office homicide bureau. Investigators said Stork acknowledged spraying or squeezing isopropyl alcohol toward the woman and holding a flame near the liquid and her skin. Stork allegedly said she wanted to scare her partner. The allegations have not been proven in court.
The fire occurred Feb. 14, 2024, at an apartment in the 5100 block of Northwest 29th Avenue in Miami’s Brownsville area. Miami-Dade deputies and fire-rescue crews responded to reports that two women had suffered serious burns. First responders found Stork and the other woman outside the apartment, according to an arrest affidavit described by news organizations.
Both women were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center. The victim suffered third-degree burns and was initially conscious, investigators said. Her condition worsened, and she was placed on life support. She died from her injuries on March 18, 2024. Authorities have not publicly identified her by name.
Stork initially told investigators the fire began accidentally while the victim was using alcohol to clean shoes and then tried to light a cigarette, according to the affidavit. Detectives said she later gave a different account of what happened. Evidence documented inside the apartment also did not support the accidental-fire explanations, authorities said.
Investigators sought help from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. ATF personnel performed tests intended to recreate the fire using the scenarios Stork had described. According to the affidavit, the agency was unable to reproduce the fire under those conditions and concluded that her version of events was inconsistent with the available evidence.
Detectives questioned Stork again July 22 after advising her of her rights. Investigators said she described “personal issues” between herself and the victim before acknowledging that she intentionally directed the rubbing alcohol toward her partner and brought a flame to the liquid.
Police described the two women as roommates and romantic partners. The affidavit did not explain what caused the dispute or provide a detailed account of the argument. Authorities also have not said why the investigation continued for more than two years before Stork’s arrest.
Stork appeared before Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer on July 23. She was ordered held without bond on the murder and arson charges pending further court proceedings. A judge separately set a $2,500 bond in an unrelated drug case, local news organizations reported.
Publicly available reports did not identify an attorney who could speak on Stork’s behalf. She is presumed innocent unless proven guilty, and prosecutors will be required to establish the charges in court.
Stork remained at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center as the criminal case moved forward. Authorities had not announced additional arrests or released the victim’s identity as of Friday.
Author note: Last updated July 24, 2026.