The boyfriend of less than a year of a 25-year-old college student Madison Shea Pilkington, who was found murdered at her apartment, has been arrested and charged in the case, authorities said.
Pilkington was found dead by her relative inside her apartment in Alabama early on Saturday after she did not show up at work a day earlier, according to the Hoover Police Department.
Her boyfriend Cortez Lenarde Warren, 32, was arrested later on Saturday afternoon during investigations, reported AL news, hours after the body of Pilkington was discovered.
Mr Warren has been charged with murder, tampering with physical evidence, and unlawful possession of marijuana.
The police had put out an alert identifying him as a suspect in the case and arrested him following a chase involving officers from at least three different departments.
“Evidence collected in the case revealed that Pilkington died as a result of an assault,” the HPD said.
According to investigators, Pilkington died from blunt force trauma, authorities said. Her body was discovered by a family member in her apartment at the Halson off Lorna Road. They went to look for her after she did not show up for work on Friday.
“She was beautiful both inside and out,’’ said her aunt, Dana Armstrong, describing her death as a “shock”. “She was loved by everyone who knew her.”
Mr Warren, from Birmingham, was arrested after a police chase including multiple agencies as he drove in his white Nissan Altima through Irondale and Birmingham.
The chase led to a collision of an officer with a passing motorist, injuring both after Mr Warren pulled over on the side of the highway. Both suffered non-life-threatening injuries and have been released from the hospital.
According to Mr Warren’s court records, he was arrested in 2016 reportedly on charges of domestic violence against another woman. Documents said he had an extended history of domestic violence and was accused of choking her.
Mr Warren remains in custody at the Jefferson County Jail on a $262,000 bond. It is unclear if he hired an attorney.
A fundraiser set up by Pilkington’s family has raised $13,000 till Monday for her funeral and final expenses.
“The family is needing help paying the funeral and final expenses, so I am asking anyone who feels the calling in their heart to please contribute,” the GoFundMe page said. “Thank you all for your prayers.”
