Edward Randolph, 49, has been charged with first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse in the death of his girlfriend, 46-year-old Hope Parrott, whose remains were found inside a burning refrigerator along a rural Tennessee road late last month.

According to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, authorities discovered Parrott’s body on July 31 around 1 a.m. on Sunken Cane Road in the Crawford community of Overton County. The initial discovery was made by a woman driving through the area. She reported a fire on the side of the road, and when authorities responded what they discovered was absolutely horrific. Parrott’s remains were engulfed in flames inside the burning refrigerator.

The Overton County Sheriff’s Department said the condition of the body initially made identification impossible. The Medical Examiner’s Office released a description based on what could be recovered — a woman between 5 feet and 5 feet 4 inches tall, weighing 110 to 140 pounds, with brown hair and wearing distinctive jewelry, including a white metal necklace and bracelet, as well as a tongue piercing and nose ring.

At the time, no missing persons case seemed to match. But investigators soon connected the discovery to a report filed by Parrott’s family nearly four weeks earlier. They had contacted police on July 5 after repeated attempts to reach her failed.

Family members told authorities that Parrott, who lived in the Cookeville or Livingston area, was last seen on July 30. She had recently broken up with Randolph, and according to witnesses, left her home that evening in an unknown truck with an unidentified individual. Her belongings, including her phone and prescribed medication, were left behind.

Randolph was arrested after investigators determined he knew Parrott and was connected to her final movements. Authorities have not publicly detailed how they believe Parrott died, but District Attorney General Bryant Dunaway described the crime in a public statement as a body “discarded and burned.”

Randolph is being held on $50,000 bond. The relatively low amount for a murder charge is unusual and has not yet been explained by officials.

The case has rattled the rural Overton County community, where violent crimes of this nature are rare. Sunken Cane Road, a quiet stretch of countryside, has now become the center of a homicide investigation that spans multiple jurisdictions and involves both local deputies and state agents.

As the case moves forward, prosecutors say they will pursue the maximum penalty. For Parrott’s family, the charges offer the first step toward justice in a case that began with weeks of unanswered questions and ended in a discovery few could imagine.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said additional details will be released as the case proceeds.