A man was arrested and charged with double homicide after two bodies were found “burned beyond recognition” Monday morning in Covington, Louisiana, according to police.
The finding of the bodies comes as a retired Catholic priest and his associate were reported missing the previous day.
At approximately 7:00 a.m. on Monday, police responded to the scene where the bodies were reportedly discovered in downtown Covington in the 500 block of E. Gibson Street.
While investigating the double homicide, detectives identified Antonio Donde Tyson, 49, of Covington, as a suspect and he was taken into custody.
Tyson is currently facing multiple charges, including two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree kidnapping, two counts of obstruction of justice, one count of resisting an officer, and one count of illegal possession of stolen things.
The bodies of the victims have not been identified as of yet, but multiple witnesses said that one of the victims’ is a “prominent member of the North Shore community,” WGNO reported.
An autopsy on the burned bodies will be conducted on Tuesday.
The burned bodies were found one day after retired priest Fr. Otis Young of St. Peter Parish Roman Catholic Church, and his assistant, Ruth Prats, were both reported missing, according to WWL-TV. The two have not been seen since Sunday night.
“This is a very sad day for the City of Covington. We lift up our prayers for the victims, their families, and our community,” said Covington Mayor Mark Johnson.
“We like to think our city is immune from these tragedies, but we are not. I would like to commend Chief Michael Ferrell and the Covington PD for their swift and professional action,” he added.
Covington police noted that the investigation is still ongoing and that a press conference will be held Tuesday regarding the double homicide.
You can follow Ethan Letkeman on Twitter at @EthanLetkeman.