Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Man murders woman then has sex with body out of curiosity, say Florida police

Christopher Shows has been arrested by police in southern Florida

Andrew Buncombe
Minneapolis
Friday 23 December 2016 10:10 EST
Comments
Amanda Suarez was found dead in her Florida home
Amanda Suarez was found dead in her Florida home (Facebook)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A 21-year-old man allegedly told police he killed his girlfriend’s cousin and sexually assaulted her corpse, because he “wanted to know what it was like to kill somebody.”

Police in Okeechobee, Florida, claimed Christopher Shows murdered mother-of-four Amanda Suarez, inside her home in order to experience murdering someone.

“In his confession, it was just he wanted to know what murder was about. Unfortunately, it was no rhyme no reason. He just wanted to know what murder felt like,” the county’s sheriff-elect, Noel Stephen, told WPTV.

Police claim Christopher Snows wanted to experience what it was like to kill someone
Police claim Christopher Snows wanted to experience what it was like to kill someone (Okeechobee County Sherrif)

Mr Snows was arrested on Monday over the December 7 killing of Ms Suarez. The woman’s two-year-old son was home at the time of the attack, the station reported.

It is not clear whether Mr Snows has been formally charged, whether he has entered a plea, or if he has a lawyer.

Reports said Mr Snows had gone to the woman’s apartment where he made advances to her. When she rejected them, he took a rifle from his vehicle and allegedly shot her in the back.

Ms Suarez has left a husband and four children
Ms Suarez has left a husband and four children (GoFundMe)

He then allegedly dragged her body into the kitchen, positioned her in the form of a crucifix, and sexually assaulted her.

When police arrived at the scene, they discovered that Ms Suarez’s cellphone was missing. It was eventually tracked to a nearby church.

Officials said Mr Shows may have dropped the phone on the side of the road after he fled the victim’s home. The phone was covered with blood, and police said it contained a photograph moments before Ms Suarez was shot.

Ms Suarez’s family has set up a GoFundMe page to help cover funeral expenses. The family of the murdered woman’s husband are now caring for him and the four children.

Leah Suarez told the Okeechobee News that her daughter-in-law had always been focussed on getting her high school diploma and having a family.

“She was a good mom and never had any ill will toward anyone,” she said. “She never had a driver’s licence. She was perfectly content being home and being a mom.”

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in