Miami man strangles woman to death, burns her body in back of U-Haul truck: report

A 57-year-old Miami man is accused of killing a woman and then burning her body inside a U-Haul truck.

Around 5 a.m. on July 25, police said surveillance footage shows Allen Thomas, 57, backing up a U-Haul truck near a set of train tracks.

Thomas got out of the driver’s seat and walked to the back of the truck. The video then showed flames behind the vehicle as Thomas drives away, officials said.

On July 26, investigators found Thomas at his apartment and the U-Haul truck was parked outside, authorities said.

Meanwhile, police found several knives, cleaning supplies and blood consistent with a struggle inside the apartment, WPLG Local 10 reported.

Officials determined the woman was strangled to death before her body was placed inside the truck and taken to the train tracks.

Police spoke with a witness, who said Thomas told them the victim was dead inside of the apartment for two days before he finally put her body in the U-Haul and burned it.

Because of the victim’s burns, medical personnel have not been able to positively identify the victim, but they did determine the cause of death to be from trauma to her neck, police said.

Thomas has been arrested and is facing multiple charges, which include second-degree murder with no bond, abuse of a dead human body with a $7,500 bond and tampering with physical evidence with a $5,000 bond, officials said.