Florida authorities caught a suspected murderer burying his victim's charred remains in a wooded area of Palm Bay.
32-year-old Daniel Stearns was arrested red-handed and charged with second-degree murder, mutilation, and tampering with evidence over the killing of Nancy Howery, his 44-year-old girlfriend.
The mom-of-two was last seen alive by a friend on February 15. Stearns admitted to shooting her during a dispute before mutilating her body and setting it on fire.
Deputies surveilled Stearns after he was interviewed by the Palm Bay Police and the Brevard County Sheriff's Office.
They followed him to a wooded area known as “The Compound” and discovered that he was burying charred human remains.
“This is a horrific individual,” Sheriff Wayne Ivey said. “In both of those interviews, he showed significant areas of deception and truly identified himself as a prime suspect in the case.”
