A Florida man is accused of shooting his girlfriend during an argument and burning her body in an attempt to hide evidence connecting him to the crime. The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office said that Daniel Stearns was arrested on Friday after human remains were found in a wooded area in Palm Bay.
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“The suspect returned to the scene of the crime and then burned the victim’s body to destroy any evidence connecting him to the murder,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “After burning the body, the perpetrator took the charred remains of the victim and scattered them in several locations, including burying them in multiple areas of the Compound,” the statement added.
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Who is Daniel Stearns?
Daniel Stearns has been charged with second-degree murder with a firearm, mutilation of a dead body, and tampering with evidence in connection with the death of Nancy Howery. Stearns is 32 years old.
Nancy Howery has been reported missing from Indian Harbour Beach by her ex-husband and two children on February 18, according to authorities. She was 44. She had failed to pick up the kids from school three days earlier. Howery was an Indian Harbour Beach resident.
Police officials found her car Honda Odyssey abandoned close to a site known as the Compound on February 19. The discovery came after investigators watched Stearns and realized he had allegedly tried to bury a body in the compound after burning it.
Stearns was questioned twice during the investigation and allegedly showed “significant areas of deception, and truly identified himself as a prime suspect in the case,” the sheriff said, reported People.
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He was taken into custody after he was allegedly spotted trying to bury the body. According to the sheriff’s office, he confessed to killing Howery and trying to dispose of her remains. The couple was arguing when Stearns fatally shot Howery.
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He is being held without bail at Brevard County Jail. However, it is not immediately clear if he has entered a plea or retained an attorney who can speak on his behalf.
