APPALACHIA, VA – A Virginia man is facing multiple charges after allegedly murdering his aunt and attempting to cover up the crime by driving her body across state lines, where he set her car on fire and pushed it down a mountainside, authorities reported.

The suspect, 29-year-old David Wayne Stoneburner, has been charged with the murder of his 44-year-old aunt, Saundra Lee Moore. He also faces additional charges in Kentucky, including abuse of a corpse and first-degree arson.

The incident came to light when Kentucky State Police received a call around 3 p.m. on Sunday about a vehicle found “fully engulfed in flames” on State Road 160 in Lynch, a city located approximately 160 miles southeast of Lexington. When troopers arrived, they discovered a Toyota vehicle off the road and over a mountainside with Moore’s body inside.

Investigations carried out by the Wise County Sheriff’s Office in Virginia indicated that Moore was killed at her home in Appalachia, roughly 15 miles from where the burned vehicle was discovered. Deputies noted signs of a “violent incident” that resulted in Moore’s death at her residence.

Further probing and a collaborative interview with Stoneburner contributed to the classification of the case as a homicide. While detectives refrained from providing explicit details about Stoneburner’s statement, they indicated that it included a sequence of events leading to Moore’s death.

Authorities have not disclosed the exact method of Moore’s killing or any potential motive behind the act. They did clarify that Moore died following a “physical altercation” with Stoneburner earlier that day.

According to the police, Stoneburner allegedly transported Moore in her own car and, upon reaching Lynch Mountain, positioned her in the driver’s seat. He then set the vehicle on fire and released it down an embankment, police allege.

Stoneburner is currently detained in the Harlan County Detention Center. As of now, there is no confirmation if he has legal representation.