A Florida woman has been charged with the murder of her girlfriend, whose badly decomposed remains were found on a Jacksonville front porch a week after she was last seen.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said that Heather Sheppard, 43, was last seen on June 29, and her remains, “in an advanced stage of decomposition,” were found on July 5, WJXT reported.
The medical examiner said the remains were Sheppard’s but did not release a cause of death. Police said 43-year-old Shannon McCarthy was arrested Tuesday and charged with murder.
Court records show a history of domestic dispute between McCarthy and Sheppard. McCarthy was charged with battery in January and was out on bond. Her bond was revoked with Sheppard’s body was found, although she had not been connected to the crime at that point, WTLV reported.
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Sheppard reportedly told the sheriff’s office that McCarthy sent her a series of text messages on February 5 that made her fear for her life, and she said she was still recovering from head injuries from a January 29 attack.
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[Featured image: Heather Sheppard/The Justice Coalition and Shannon McCarthy/Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office]
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