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A sheriff's office in Alabama has arrested and charged a man with murder after a body was found inside a toolbox last month.
The Cherokee County Sheriff's Office announced that Eric Hooper of Centre, Alabama, has been charged with murder in connection with the death of 40-year-old LaChancey Williams of Cedartown, Georgia.
According to a news release the office put out on Thursday, road workers in Polk County, Georgia, discovered Williams' body while doing work on March 15. The workers found his body wrapped in a tarp inside a toolbox, according to the Associated Press on Saturday.
"To be honest, just stuff that you see in movies," Cedartown resident Rudy Martinez Jr. told local news station WSBTV in reaction to the crime. "It's shocking. A little scary to be honest."
The sheriff's office said that it's still seeking a person of interest in connection with the homicide. "The person of interest wanted for questioning is identified as 38-year-old Nick Silvers. Silvers is a resident of Cherokee County and known to be in the area." Hooper is being held in jail on a $1.5 million bond.
Investigators have not yet revealed a possible motive for the murder.
According to his obituary, Williams was a father of five.
"LaChancey had been a self employed painter for many years. He never held anything back but would give you the shirt off of his back. He was an avid fan of Alabama football and enjoyed fishing," his obituary states.
Newsweek has reached out to the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office for comment.
In a separate case in New York City this month, the body of a woman was found in a "blood soaked" duffel bag. A person walking in Forest Park found the bag and called 911. The woman was later identified as 51-year-old Orsolya Gaal. David Bonola, who has been charged in connection with Gaal's death, allegedly texted her husband using her phone, which helped lead to his arrest.
According to police, Bonola and Gaal were involved in an intimate affair, which had been going on for around two years. Bonola was Gaal's employee, working as her handyman.
In Tennessee in December, the body of a man was found in a suitcase left near a Memphis dumpster. Julian Summers, 30, was charged in connection with the murder of 63-year-old Bruce Jeffries, who was his roommate. After opening the suitcase, police determined Jeffries was killed by blunt force trauma to the head. Police said a witness allegedly saw Summers attempting to throw the suitcase in the dumpster, but that it was too heavy.
About the writer
Xander Landen is a Newsweek weekend reporter. His focus is often U.S. politics, but he frequently covers other issues including ... Read more