Body Found Buried in Drum Under Van at Arkansas Auto Shop, Man Arrested

Rudy Ray, 56, was arrested in Tennessee after human remains were found buried under a van at his Trumann, Arkansas auto shop. The case began as a missing person investigation.

Human Remains Found Buried Under Van at Arkansas Auto Shop

A 56-year-old Arkansas man is in custody after human remains were discovered buried beneath a van parked behind an auto shop in Trumann, Law & Crime reports. Rudy Ray faces charges of tampering with physical evidence and abuse of a corpse, according to the Trumann Police Department.

The case originated as a missing person investigation into Rebecca Lucille Montgomery, 44, also known as Rebecca Spray. Her family reported her missing on Aug. 14, saying they had last seen her around June 30, according to local outlet Jonesboro Right Now.

Investigators obtained a search warrant for a property on North Pine Avenue in Trumann — a small town approximately 20 miles southeast of Jonesboro — which authorities allege is an auto shop operated by Ray.

On Aug. 21, investigators executed the warrant and made a grim discovery on the property.

"During the search of the property, investigators located what are believed to be human remains," Trumann Police Chief Doug Thomas said at the time. "At this time, the remains cannot be positively identified."

As of the time of publication, a formal identification has not been confirmed. The remains are currently under examination by the Arkansas State Crime Lab, where medical examiners are working to establish the identity of the deceased and determine the cause and time of death.

Neighbors, however, told local media they believe the remains are those of Montgomery. Speaking to CBS affiliate WREG, based in Memphis, Tennessee, one neighbor described what investigators found.

"We were all sitting over here by the fence and the cop came over and said they had found the girl. They identified her by her tattoos," the neighbor said. "That empty spot between those cars is where they found her. That black van is parked over this way. He had buried her under it. In a 50-gallon drum."

Police Chief Thomas confirmed that Ray and the missing woman had been in some kind of relationship, though he did not elaborate on its nature.

Ray was not in Arkansas when investigators searched the property. The same day the warrant was executed, the Franklin Police Department in Tennessee took him into custody after officers responded to a report of a suspicious person at a truck stop. Franklin is located roughly 20 miles south of Nashville and approximately 265 miles east of Trumann.

During questioning, officers established a connection between Ray and the missing person case in Arkansas. He was initially held on a fugitive-from-justice warrant.

Ray is currently detained at the Williamson County Jail on a $1 million bond, pending extradition to Poinsett County, Arkansas. Authorities indicated that additional charges may follow as the investigation continues.

Source: Law & Crime