Officials were left baffled after what began as an investigation into a stabbing and arson took a shocking turn when an Indiana man confessed that he used his severed penis to ignite a campfire.

On 6 May, the Fort Wayne Fire Department attended a blaze at a detached garage. At around the same time, police responded to reports of a stabbing, according to a probable cause affidavit.

The garage's owners said a neighbour had woken them to inform them about the fire. They noticed a family member, 36 year old Christopher Peden, was nowhere to be found.

Meanwhile, Fort Wayne police located a stabbing victim, who was identified as Peden, according to court documents. While being transported to hospital, he maintained that he had been stabbed somewhere in downtown Fort Wayne.

Peden also claimed he had been threatened the previous day. According to court documents, Peden subsequently told investigators that he had been "dishonest" about the stabbing and "wanted to be truthful."

No one anticipated the genuine cause of the blaze. Peden revealed he had gone to the garage and "harmed himself" by "cutting off his penis" with a kitchen knife, according to court documents.

He informed investigators that he poured petrol on his member and "set it on fire on the floor of the garage just inside the door."

He then left the scene and was later discovered by police. According to court documents, investigators retrieved a number of items from the garage as evidence, including a red plastic petrol container, four lighters, and a kitchen knife.

Peden now faces charges of arson, classified as a Level 4 felony. Court records confirm that a hearing has been scheduled for next week.