Man allegedly kills ex, leaves body in abandoned driveway, and moves in with look-alike girlfriend
08/29/2022 3:43 pm PDT
FORT SMITH, Ark. (TCD) -- A 60-year-old man is accused of killing his girlfriend, wrapping her body in a comforter, and leaving it in an abandoned driveway.
According to Arkansas State Police, on Aug. 10, Franklin County deputies received a call about a body near Arkansas Highway 186 close to Altus, and soon asked State Police to take over the investigation.
Eleven days later, Arkansas State Police identified the remains as those of 53-year-old Tonia Tram Tran. She reportedly suffered several injuries and was then left in the driveway. She reportedly moved to Fort Smith earlier in the year from Garden Grove, California.
On Aug. 24, Maurice Anthony Richardson was arrested on suspicion of murder, but he was already in custody on theft charges reportedly related to Tran’s death.
The Forth Smith Times Record reports Tran had been suffocated, sexually assaulted, and beaten. Tran and Richardson reportedly lived in a duplex together, and her minivan with California license plates was still parked at the building.
According to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, investigators reportedly found blood inside the van and markings that seemed to indicate someone had been dragged out of the car. They also allegedly discovered a bloody mattress, Tran’s citizenship paperwork, and bedding that matched the blanket she was found in.
Another woman reportedly moved into the duplex with Richardson, and she "bears a marked resemblance to the victim."
The new woman reportedly told police she had only known Richardson for three days, but they were getting married.
Jail records show Richardson is a "habitual offender," and his bond was set at $500,000 cash.
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