During the early hours of last August 20, Kenneth Hardin Jr. and his wife, Carrie, got into a disagreement as all normal couples do, according to a statement from Fayette County Sheriff’s Office.
What was abnormal about this situation is the day after the incident, Hardin reportedly handed over all his monetary responsibilities, including his bank accounts, to his father, according to Fox 5.
Hardin then allegedly confessed he was leaving town after killing Carrie in self defense, according to Fox News. “He had told his father that he had shot his wife and pretty much that he was now going to be on the run,” said Fayette County Sheriff Barry Babb.
When the 39-year-old suspect revealed the shocking truth, his father immediately reported his son to law enforcement. According to Fox News, this prompted an official visit to Hardin’s home where police quickly discovered Carrie’s burned body buried in a shallow grave.
“...Officers could definitely tell immediately that there was somebody with some blood loss and that somebody had attempted to clean the crime scene,” said Babb.
An official autopsy of Carrie’s body has not been released to the public yet, but Hardin’s wife clearly suffered from gunshot wounds and her body was set on fire, per Fayette County News.
The couple’s home reportedly had a noticeable amounts of cameras and weapons present. Because of this, Sheriff Babb noted the suspect more than likely was watching and listening to the investigation taking place.
As the official investigation ensued, Georgia authorities tracked Hardin’s vehicle to Covington, La. St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, eventually apprehending Hardin at a local motel, according to the police statement. He was arrested without incident and currently awaits extradition back to Georgia.
Sadly, Hardin and his wife have two young boys, who will have this cloud over them for the rest of their lives. They are currently in the care of family.