A body shop owner is behind bars, accused of killing a missing Alabama woman who police have presumed dead.
According to AL.com, 54-year-old Michelle Whitaker Hough vanished Sunday after visiting Lawhorn’s Phenix City body shop while looking to buy a car for her son. She was last seen driving her 2016 Chevrolet Equinox from her Seale home around 1 p.m. Family members and friends have not heard from her since.
Earlier this week, Kenneth Eugene Lawhorn, 58, was charged with theft and arson regarding Hough’s vehicle. On Friday, the Russell County Sheriff announced his arrest on a capital murder warrant in her presumed death. Though Hough’s body remains missing, officials allege Lawhorn is responsible for her killing her.
“He has done work on her vehicles, and she was engaged with him about finding a vehicle for her son,’’ Russell County Sheriff Heath Taylor said on Friday. “The extent of their relationship we’re still looking into, but they did know each other.”
“We know that she arrived at his job, and never left.”
Taylor added that police responded to a vehicle fire Sunday night on Carver Road in Seale, and determined the vehicle was linked to Hough. Investigators found the vehicle’s VIN, which showed the vehicle was Hough’s Hough’s Equinox.
Investigators said her cellphone’s last ping was around 100 years away from Lawhorn’s body shop. Security footage showed that she drove to the body shop and arrived at 1:41 p.m. Sunday.
Taylor added that security footage showed Lawhorn loading her SUV on a trailer and towing it away.
“We were able to determine that he actually took the vehicle and went out into the county,’’ the sheriff said. “Within an hour, the vehicle was found burned. Since then, the investigation has taken a different turn.”
Although her remains were not in the SUV and she remains missing, Taylor said evidence showed that there was foul play involved.
“We still are missing Mrs. Hough. We believe she is deceased,’’ Taylor said. “We believe that Mr. Lawhorn has done something with her body.”
“This is an ongoing case and it’s a difficult case because right now we still don’t have a body. We believe he’s disposed of the body, and he was uncooperative with us when we put him in the county jail.”
Police released pictures of Lawhorn’s red For Expedition and white pickup truck with a trailer on Friday. They are urging anyone who saw the vehicles on November 5 or November 6 to contact Sheriff’s Investigator Ramon Ortiz at 334-664-9846 or Lt. Jarrod Barr at 334-664-9851.
Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo: Michelle Whitaker Hough and Kenneth Lawhorn/Russell County Sheriff’s Office]
