Police in Fort Wayne, Indiana, have charged Christopher Peden, 36, with felony arson after he allegedly admitted to cutting off his own genitals with a kitchen knife and setting them alight with gasoline inside a detached garage. The case is notable for the unusual admission that reportedly overturned Peden's initial account, in which he claimed to have been stabbed.

According to court documents cited by FOX59, The Smoking Gun and other outlets, Peden first told police on 6 May that he had been stabbed, but later allegedly conceded that account was untrue and said he had instead harmed himself in the garage at around 2am. The property was owned by Peden's mother, and his brother David also lived there; David said a neighbour woke him to report the powerless garage was ablaze, at which point the family realised Peden was missing. The fire brigade and police responded to what were initially treated as separate fire and stabbing incidents.