A man accused of setting fire to a mobile home in an effort to kill a woman inside is scheduled for trial May 17 in Lincoln County.

Christopher Corey Rials was indicted on attempted murder and first-degree arson charges in June of last year.

Rials’s trial date was initially set for October of last year but was continued to Jan. 12 following a request for a psychological evaluation. Leading up to the Jan. 12 trial date, the defense filed a request that the state pay to retrieve medical documents. That order was signed Jan. 12, and the defense was given some time to retrieve those records.

The indictment states that “on or about Sept. 24, 2014, in Lincoln County Rials did willfully, unlawfully, feloniously and maliciously set fire to that certain Southern Pride double-wide mobile home dwelling house, owned by Carolyn F. Dunn or Bobby Winborne and then located at 1648 Big Creek Drive, Bogue Chitto.”

The second count of the indictment states Rials “on or about Sept. 24 Rials did willfully, unlawfully and feloniously design and endeavor to kill one Nikki Dunn, in furtherance of his said design, Rials did set fire to a certain mobile home that he knew to be then occupied by Dunn, but Rials failed in his said attempt to commit murder.”

Court documents filed on Sept. 14 show the prosecution will rely on prior acts or convictions of a similar nature for proof of knowledge or intent, and may seek to enhance to habitual status.

Rials’s criminal records include pleading guilty and receiving seven years in Mississippi Department of Corrections’ custody for a felony charge of burglary of a building in April 2008. Rials pleaded guilty to one felony uttering forgery in 2007, another uttering forgery in 2008 and two grand larceny felony charges in 2008. In 2012, Rials was indicted for burglary of an automobile and attempted credit card fraud.