[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
This is downright HORRIFYING!
A Missouri man and his girlfriend have been accused of making his ex watch them dig her grave before they allegedly murdered her after an argument. Tony Charboneau (pictured above, left) and his girlfriend Brandi Luffy (pictured above, right) were arrested and charged in relation to the death of Amy Hogue after a terrifying discovery.
On June 20, Hogue was reported missing by her loved ones after an alleged argument with her ex Charboneau. As reported by local outlet KSDK, the 36-year-old man punched and stomped on Hogue after their argument, according to what Washington County Sheriff Zach Jacobsen said in a probable cause affidavit.
Related: Woman Dead After Her Dad Warned Her Allegedly Abusive Ex ‘Was Going To Kill Her’
After this, Luffy allegedly kidnapped Hogue by securing her to a manual wheelchair with ratchet straps, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office. From there, the couple was said to have gotten shovels, a pickaxe, some tarp, and a gun before they stowed Hogue away in the back of a vehicle. The pair allegedly then drove to a wooded area across from Charboneau’s house and rolled the victim up onto a hill.
There, as multiple outlets report, he dug a shallow grave and forced his ex to watch. Once the hole was dug, he was said to have untied Hogue from the wheelchair, shot her, and spent the rest of the day covering the grave in big rocks and tree branches. His current girlfriend stayed behind in the car to keep a lookout.
After it was all said and done, they reportedly burned the ratchet straps and tarp, and threw the victim’s purse into a river. Absolutely sickening…
Back on August 2, Luffy allegedly confessed to her involvement of the crime to investigators and even led them to Hogue’s body. Police were then able to arrest Charboneau just a few days later, on August 5. Both Luffy and her boyfriend are facing some serious charges. She’s looking at second-degree murder, first-degree kidnapping, abandonment of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and conspiracy to commit a felony.
Meanwhile, Charboneau is facing his own charges of first-degree murder, first-degree domestic assault, first-degree kidnapping, abandonment of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and conspiracy to commit a felony. He also had charges of domestic assault from previous run-ins with Hogue. Those are still pending in Washington County Associate Circuit Court. So, it wasn’t even her first issue with him… so sad.
Both of them are being held on a $1 million bond. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for August 28, while Luffy has a bond reduction hearing scheduled for Wednesday. Washington County Prosecuting Attorney John Jones said of the crime:
“This case is horrifying in every respect, and my office will not rest until the victim’s killers are brought to justice.”
Meanwhile, Sheriff Jacobsen offered a sad reality in a public statement:
“This crime is heinous, and it was pointless. That makes it even worse, the fact that she finally got enough and she was ready to leave and get away from this situation, and she was killed for it.”
Hogue’s family set up a GoFundMe to cover final expenses, where her daughter-in-law Taylor Cider expressed the family’s shock and heartbreak. She revealed Hogue leaves behind four children, and was killed four days after her grandson was born. If you’d like to donate to the memorial fund, you can click HERE.
So, so heartbreaking. Our hearts are with the victim’s family. May Amy rest in peace and get the justice she deserves.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available. Consider calling the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233, or text START to 88788, or go to https://www.thehotline.org/.
[Image via Washington County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook]
