A Georgia man, Kenneth Hardin Junior, was arrested in Louisiana after allegedly killing his wife, burning her body, and attempting to flee the state, according to authorities. The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office revealed that Hardin, from Fayetteville, Georgia, faces homicide-related charges and is currently being held in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, pending extradition.
The tragic incident reportedly began early Tuesday morning at the couple’s residence on Merlin Court in Fayetteville, where a domestic dispute escalated. The next morning, Hardin allegedly confessed to his family that he killed his wife, burned her body, and was planning to leave town.
Authorities were alerted to the crime when Hardin’s father contacted dispatchers, leading deputies to the residence. Upon arrival, they discovered evidence consistent with Hardin’s confession. Investigators quickly tracked Hardin’s vehicle to Covington, Louisiana, and collaborated with the Louisiana State Patrol and St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office to locate the suspect at a local motel.
SWAT members successfully apprehended Hardin at the motel, and he was booked into the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Facility as a fugitive. Meanwhile, investigators at the Fayetteville residence discovered a shallow grave in a wooded area behind the home, where they found the burned remains of Hardin’s wife, Carrie Hardin, buried under yard debris.
The case remains under investigation as Hardin awaits extradition to Georgia to face charges.