A Palm Coast man is accused of booby-trapping the front door of a home in order to electrocute his pregnant estranged wife.

  • Deputies find 'electrical booby trap' at Palm Coast home
  • They say Michael Scott Wilson tried to electrocute estranged wife
  • 'Strange writing' was also found on a sliding door at the home

Michael Scott Wilson, 32, has been charged with two counts of attempted aggravated battery on a pregnant person and grand theft of a firearm.

According to Flagler County Sheriff's investigators, the front door of the home on the 100 block of White Hall Drive was rigged sometime over Christmas holiday weekend.

A charging affidavit says the stepfather of the pregnant woman called deputies after finding "strange writing" that included the word "HI!" and two eyes drawn in what appeared to be lipstick on the back sliding glass door. The front door also appeared to be stuck.

The man and his wife said they had gone out to check on the home after their stepdaughter called to tell them about suspicious statements that Wilson had made, the affidavit said, which included, "When you go up, make sure you use the front door because the garage door is not going to open," and "Make sure that (a child) isn't with you because I don't want her getting hurt," the affidavit said.

Wilson and his wife have a child together.


Michael Scott Wilson, 32 (Flagler County Sheriff's Office)

When deputies got there, they said the front door handle had burn marks and appeared to be partially barricaded. A deputy then kicked the front door, generating a large spark possibly caused by a booby trap. The deputies said the force of the door opening ripped electrical cords away from the wall, disrupting a device that appeared to be rigged to it, they said.

One set of electrical wiring appeared to be a cord cut from a lamp's electrical light bulb; one end had a wall outlet plug-in adapter attached.

Deputies think the device was designed to create a closed electrical circuit when someone inserted a key in the dead bolt with one hand and grabbed the door handle with the other. Other items used in the "electrical booby trap" included two chairs, a high chair, blue tape, shower-type rod and battery charger, according to the affidavit.

Wilson was taken into custody in Knoxville, Tennessee on Thursday afternoon. He's being held on a $150,000 bond and will be extradited to the Flagler Detention facility to face charges, deputies said. Additional charges are pending.


CORRECTION: A previous version of this story indicated that the homeowner was the woman's stepfather, but a neighbor told Spectrum News 13 that he was the owner and landlord. The story has been changed to remove the identity of the owner.