Husband Accused of Driving Around Missouri With Wife's Dead Body in Camper
A man has been taken into custody for allegedly leaving his wife's corpse unattended in a camper, police said.
Kenia Lopez, of Carthage Missouri, was found dead in the vehicle after the Carthage Missouri Police Department received a 911 call on June 13 informing them about a dead body in the 600 block of N. Main Street, KAKE reported.
The body was identified as belonging to 24-year-old Kenia Lopez, KAKE reported.
Investigators determined the alleged murder had occurred in a separate location, the Miami County Sheriff's Office stated.
According to law enforcement officials, the alleged victim's death likely happened in rural Louisburg, Kansas. The victim's husband, 23-year-old Gavino McJunkins-Macias of Carthage, Missouri, was taken for questioning.
McJunkins-Macias is accused of committing his wife’s murder, authorities said, The Kansas City Star reported.
“The defendant committed a violent murder in Kansas, killing his wife,” a Carthage Police Department detective wrote in a report. “He then transported the decedent across state lines and left the decedent unattended while he spoke with family and an attorney.”
The court documents state that McJunkins-Macias placed the 911 call. The man also allegedly told detectives in an interview that the camper was his and that he drove it to Carthage around 7 a.m. knowing that his wife's dead body was inside the vehicle, investigators claimed.
McJunkins-Macias allegedly left the dead body in the camper and went to meet his family as well as attend to other business according to the court documents, the Kansas City reported.
Police reportedly have collected surveillance footage that allegedly shows the camper being towed by a truck around 8 a.m., and then leaving the area without the camper around 25 minutes later.
Prosecutors in both counties have charged McJunkins-Macias. He faces one count of abandonment of a corpse in Jasper County Circuit Court, and one count of second-degree murder in Miami County District Court. His bond has been set at $1 million.
Marlen Mendez Garcia, a friend of Lopez, has set up a GoFundMe for the victim's family to help them in their time of need.
The message on the fundraising site reads, "Kenia was raising not only her two babies but her three siblings as well. At this time, I know that her family will be needing a lot of support and support for the funeral expenses. If you are able to donate to help this family, it would be greatly appreciated, but if not, then please keep them in your prayers. May God bless her soul and all of yours. Justice for Kenia."