TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Authorities say a 34-year-old woman’s ex fatally beat her, left her inside a minivan and set the vehicle on fire on a busy Florida interstate.
Sarasota County Sheriff’s officials say they were called to a burning minivan on 1-75 earlier this month. Deputies said Michael Clark was the driver, but told them he didn’t know how Kristen Kelly died or how the vehicle caught fire. Authorities say the couple had three children together and court records show a history of domestic violence.
Medical examiners say she died of blunt-force trauma. The Tampa Bay Times reports Clark was jailed for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and released on bond less than a month before her death.
Clark is charged with murder, arson, tampering with evidence and possession of cocaine. It’s unclear if he had an attorney to comment on the charges.
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.