Man accused of strangling woman he barely knew told cops victim hanged herself before he stuffed body in trash bag, ditched remains on highway

An Alabama antheral accused of sidesplitting a 23-year-old pistillate told cops she hanged herself successful her flat earlier he stuffed her assemblage successful a trash bag and ditched her remains on a highway.

Randall Lendell Dejourney, 44, stands accused of murder successful the decease of Karen Hollis, who was reported missing May 8 and recovered dormant by household members connected May 16, the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office said. Authorities allege Dejourney strangled Hollis to decease successful her apartment.

A justice ordered Dejourney beryllium held without enslaved pursuing a May 26 probable origin hearing. According to a transcript of the bid posted by section ABC affiliate WBMA, Dejourney and Hollis were unneurotic May 8 successful her apartment. He near and returned carrying a bluish tote instrumentality with a trash bag, video from the flat allegedly showed.

The suspect's and victim's phones reportedly showed "simultaneous movement" on I-59. Hollis was aboriginal recovered dormant on the broadside of the road successful a garbage container successful Greene County.

Back astatine Hollis' apartment, investigators accidental they recovered humor successful her bathroom. Dejourney allegedly told detectives that Hollis hanged herself and helium past placed her assemblage successful a trash container — but a aesculapian examiner said that "Hollis' injuries were not accordant with hanging."

Prosecutors besides noted Dejourney had antecedently been arrested for home unit with strangulation.

As Law&Crime previously reported, Dejourney primitively was charged with maltreatment of a corpse, but those charges were upgraded aft an autopsy determined Hollis died of asphyxiation and the mode of decease was homicide.

Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit Captain Jack Kennedy told reporters that Dejourney and Hollis were acquaintances. Dejourney was a person of 1 of Hollis' neighbors, per cops. Authorities are inactive moving to find a motive, helium said.

Deputies said Hollis' household recovered her remains portion "searching an country identified done recovered physics evidence." Kennedy said authorities had antecedently recovered the victim's telephone respective miles distant successful what cops initially believed was the tract of a car crash.

Hollis was reported missing to the Northport Police Department connected May 8 aft the find of her phone. Northport is conscionable extracurricular Tuscaloosa.

"Early successful the investigation, grounds suggested that foul play whitethorn person been involved," cops said.

Hollis' household told section CBS affiliate WIAT that her Life360 app recorded her leaving her Northport flat successful a car astatine 4:25 a.m. connected the time she disappeared. Her telephone showed she went southbound done downtown and ended up connected I-20. The app reportedly noted "hard braking" astatine 4:42 a.m.

Hollis' fellow Zackary Slaughter told the TV presumption helium had been texting Hollis successful the hours starring up to her disappearance.

"The past happening she texted maine was saying she was going to the store to get a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup," Slaughter said successful an interrogation with the outlet.

Cops person executed aggregate hunt warrants during the probe and person "gathered extended physical, witness, and physics evidence." Police identified Dejourney arsenic a "person of interest" aft her disappearance and took him into custody aft the find of Hollis' remains.

Dejourney is successful the Tuscaloosa County Jail without bond. It's unclear erstwhile helium volition adjacent look successful court.