Emma Adams.Photo: Boone County Sheriff’s Office
A 20-year-old woman has been charged with murder after police allegedly found a burning body in a fire pit outside her Columbia, Mo., home.
On Tuesday, Jan. 10, around 5:30 p.m., campus police responded to the Hudson Hall dormitory when the mother of a University of Missouri student called for a welfare check on her son, who has high-functioning autism. She reportedly hadn’t heard from him since 11:30 p.m. the day before.
After being questioned at the scene, Emma Adams, 20, was arrested. Adams has since been charged with second-degree murder, armed criminal action, tampering with physical evidence and abandonment of a corpse, according to the Columbia PD’sstatement.
Cops also allegedly found blood stains leading from the house to a parked vehicle outside Adams' residence.
Adams denied previously knowing the victim, and when questioned about what had transpired, she allegedly told police she stabbed the person in self-defense because he was “beating” her, theMissourianreports.
Police have not yet identified the victim, though the police’s statement said they “have a good idea” of who the burned body is.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Adams is being held at the Boone County Jail on a $1 million cash bond,ABC 17 News reports.
It’s unclear whether she has retained a lawyer or issued a plea to the charges against her.
Columbia Police thanked “members of the community for coming forward with information on this case,” and encouraged anyone else with information to contact 573-874-7652, or CrimeStoppers at CrimeStoppers at 573-875-8477.
source: people.com
