Trending

Indiana man accused of dismembering woman, starting fire in apartment

CLARKSVILLE, Ind. — An Indiana man is accused of killing a 67-year-old woman, dismembering her body and setting fire to her apartment, authorities said.

>> Read more trending news

Brian Montez Williams, 36, of Clarksville, is charged with murder, arson and theft, WAVE-TV reported. He is being held without bail in the Clark County Jail, according to online booking records.

The body of Melody Gambetty, of Clarksville, was found by crews responding to a fire Tuesday morning at her apartment complex, the News and Tribune of Jeffersonville reported.

According to a probable cause document, when fire crews arrived at the apartment, they found a woman, later identified as Gambetty, on the floor.

When firefighters attempted to move her body, they discovered that Gambetty had been decapitated, according to court records.

Other body parts were missing. Officers found a head, fingers and toes believed to belong to Gambetty in a suitcase at Williams’ residence, WHAS reported.

Maj. Joel DeMoss of the Clarksville Police Department called the crime scene one of the most “horrific” he had ever seen, the television station reported.

“In my 23 years (in law enforcement), we’ve all seen a lot of crazy stuff, and some things just don’t make any sense,” DeMoss told WHAS.

Clarksville Police Chief Mark Palmer, a 32-year veteran in law enforcement, told the News and Tribune, said that he had never seen anything like this, hopefully never see it again.”

“It became personal (for officers investigating the scene), it really did, Palmer said at a news conference. “They did not want this person out there in the community.

“Personally I only live a couple blocks away from where this happened and the shock value not just to me but everybody here is unbelievable for our community. To experience something like this, it’s devastating.”

Clarksville police believe there was no connection between Williams and Gambetty, adding that the crime appears to be a botched robbery, WAVE reported.

“I know she fought back,” Gambetty’s best friend, Lisa Bryant, told WAVE. “I know she did because she was always scared because she lived by herself, I know she fought back, and I know she’s in heaven.”

Williams’ pretrial conference is set for Sept. 1, the News and Tribune reported. A jury trial is scheduled for Jan. 18, 2022, according to the newspaper.

“The Lord will take care of (Williams),” Bryant told WAVE. “He will get his judgment, whether it’s in court or wherever it may be. I know he’ll get his.”


Listen

news

amazon alexa

Enable our Skill today to listen live at home on your Alexa Devices!