Authorities arrested a 20-year-old Missouri woman after finding a burnt body outside her house

Police in Columbia, Missouri, allegedly discovered a burnt body in a fire pit outside the residence of a 20-year-old woman, who has since been charged with murder.

Details about the case

Campus police were summoned to the Hudson Hall dorm on January 10 at around 5:30 p.m. after the mother of a University of Missouri student called to ask about the welfare of her son, who has high-functioning autism. According to her, she hadn't heard from him since 11:30 the night before. Additionally, at around 10:40 pm on Monday, according to KATV, dorm cameras captured the missing student getting into a ride-sharing vehicle outside his building. Uber gave police access to the victim's last-known address, according to KATV. According to a Columbia Police Department statement, this led officers to a home on Bentley Court where they discovered "unidentifiable human remains" smoldering outside. Emma Adams, 20, was detained after being questioned on the spot. [caption id="attachment_81216" align="alignnone" width="775"] Image credit: ABC17NEWS[/caption] Furthermore, the Columbia Police Department stated that Adams has subsequently been charged with second-degree murder, armed criminal action, tampering with physical evidence, and abandoning a corpse. Also read: Texas police are investigating the death of a newlywed woman who was found decapitated in her home

More details

According to a probable cause affidavit, Adams was asleep when officers arrived at the residence. In addition, she allowed them onto the property where they discovered the charred remains burning in her outdoor fire pit. The probable cause statement also states, "The human body was smoldering, and an odor of what (was) described to be burning flesh was present." Moreover, police allegedly discovered blood streaks extending from the house to a car that was parked outside Adams' home. When questioned about what had happened, Adams allegedly told police that she had stabbed the individual in self-defense because he had been "beating" her. Additionally, Adams denied knowing the victim previously. On another note, despite saying in their statement that they "have a good idea" who the burnt body belongs to, authorities have not yet identified the victim. According to reports, the 20-year-old Missouri woman is being held at the Boone County Jail under a $1 million cash bond. Lastly, the Columbia Police Department applauded "members of the community for coming forward with information on this case" and urged anyone else with information to contact 573-874-7652, or CrimeStoppers at CrimeStoppers at 573-875-8477.