Greene's first statement to police

Statement given to Cabarrus County Detective Kevin Pfister and SBI Special Agent Charles Gent on January 10, 2006.

I put the kids to bed around 8:15 p.m. and they watched a movie in their room. Daniel and Addison were in Addison's room because Daniel won't sleep in his own room. The door to the room was open. Around 8:15 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. they, the kids, called my mother, Dale Greene. They used the cordless phone from the kitchen. I could hear them talking and watching the movie in Addison's room. I checked on them about 10 p.m. and Addison was asleep and Daniel was still awake watching the movie on the floor.



I was in the living room in the bigger recliner closer to the window. Before I put them to bed I lit two candles for them. One was a 10 inch metal base candle holder with a six inch scented green candle approximately three inches in diameter. I also lit a small tea-type candle in a glass holder. Both candles were in Addison's bedroom with them. It was about 7 p.m. or 7:15 p.m. when I lit the candles. I last checked on Daniel between 10:30 p.m. and 10:45 p.m.



I then went back and sat in the recliner to watch television in the living room. I woke up when I heard the smoke alarm near the laundry room. The one in the kitchen near the kids' rooms goes off sometimes when I cook so I unplug it sometimes. I may have left it unplugged, they were electric plug-in smoke alarms. I may have unplugged them several weeks ago. I could hear both televisions and then I could hear one of my kids scream around 1:15 to 1:20 a.m. I didn't hear the smoke detectors until after they, the kids, screamed. I could see smoke coming from under their door and some smoke in the air near the ceiling in the kitchen.



The bookshelf by the kids' rooms is filled with kids/children's paperback and hardback books and some movies. I can see the hotness and redness of Addison's bedroom door. I touched the door knob but it was too hot. I used my left hand on the doorknob. I then took the blanket wrapped around me and used it to open the bedroom door. Once the door was open a little I could see the candle laying on Daniel's pillow and burning his blanket and burning the carpet toward the bed and toward the door.



Daniel was on the floor lying on top of his blankets at the side of Addison's bed. I told him to get on the bed and in the corner by the wall and that I was going to get help. Daniel said, "No Mama, don't leave us."



I said, "I have to go get help. I'll be right back" and told them to get on the back of the bed by the wall. I used my blanket that was around me and put it over the flames in the doorway and stepped on it to put it out.



I could hear them both coughing. I stepped on the flames but it was too hot and I burned my foot and it was too hot and flames were coming up my leg. I couldn't find the phone and I was going out the door I grabbed my purse, it is the left of the sofa table by the front door. As I ran out the door with my purse I ran around the passenger side of my truck (Lexus) and dumped out my purse to get my cell phone. I then ran to the back corner of my house and toward the road and tripped over a stump between two pine trees and dropped the phone. I then crawled along the grass near the ditch and called for help. I was yelling “Help Phillip and Tamara”. I was yelling for them for about 10 minutes.



After yelling for about 10 minutes, a lady across the street came outside with a flashlight and I said "Help Ma'am, help, don't leave, I need help, call 911, my house is on fire and the kids are up there."



My hands were half froze and so were my feet and I passed out a couple of times. My boyfriend is Dennis Beckham, he lives in Lancaster, South Carolina and we've been dating for four months. He just left here, my sister's house where I'm being interviewed. I have not taken any drugs or alcohol recently, not any last night/this morning. It's been over a year since I’ve done drugs and six months since I've had alcohol. My kids don't play with matches. I don't keep jewelry in my jewelry box, I keep it in my fire proof case in my bathroom sink. About two weeks ago I checked in my safe with my boyfriend.



I usually wear most of my jewelry. I forgot, left my bangle bracelet in the glass cup in my bathroom. I never had any electrical problems at my house. My ex-husband is Darren Macemore.