Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Franklin County, MO: Arrest made in killing of woman found in trash bin

KSDK -- Franklin County prosecutor Bob Parks announced there has been an arrest in connection to the killing of a woman found dead in an apartment complex trash bin.

The young woman's body was found in the bin at Monroe Woods Apartments Tuesday afternoon. She had been mutilated.

At an afternoon news conference, Parks said he charged 37-year-old Vernell J. Loggins, Jr. with the first degree murder of Stephanie Fields.

Parks said Loggins used a knife to kill Fields. He said the killing took place between November 1 and 2 at an apartment in the complex. Loggins was taken into custody Tuesday evening.

Parks did not have a motive for the killing. He said the two were living together for the past few months as boyfriend and girlfriend.

Parks said some of Fields' body parts are still missing. He asked for the public to please call police if they find any body parts or things that appear to be body parts. He would not say which parts were missing.

What police found at the scene of the crime is disturbing. In the probable cause statement, police reported seeing loose ice cubes on top of the dismembered body, which was stuffed in a trash can. The top of the trash can containing it had a substance around it like super glue.

Two trash bags were also recovered from the bin. Inside one of them were rags and paper towels and what appeared to be blood. Also inside the bag was a sticker for a 64 gallon trash can and mail with Loggins' address on it.

In the second bag was a Wal-Mart receipt for superglue, bags of ice and an ear ring.

A review of surveillance video from the Eureka Wal-Mart at 9:30 a.m. on November 2 revealed a man that police determined to be Loggins wearing a red Cardinals baseball cap and purchasing a trash can. Records show Loggins also bought Resolve cleaner.

Blood and other matter were found inside the apartment.

Detectives identified Fields by her tattoos.

Today, Wednesday, is Fields' birthday. She would have been 26.

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