Woman found dead and buried in the woods, stabbed 24 times in the back, police say

An Indiana woman was found dead, buried in a shallow grave in the woods and now police say they caught the man responsible for her murder.

Police were called on a report of suspicious activity in a neighborhood shortly before 6 a.m. on April 6, authorities said.

According to authorities, people heard arguing outside by a pickup truck that was flashing its lights.

When police arrived, they found a woman, Shelby Benson, walking around the neighborhood covered in mud and scratches, as reported by WISH-TV.

Police questioned Benson and she said that she got into an argument with a friend, 39-year-old Chrishteena Veach, after Veach accused her of taking $30, police said.

During the argument, Benson said Veach struck her with a frying pan and now she was waiting for her husband, 31-year-old Daniel Gentry to come pick her up.

Gentry came up shortly after and his pants were also muddy. His hands were covered in blood and scratches, according to police.

Gentry claimed the dogs got loose during the fight, so he was out in the woods looking for them and that is where he got the injuries on his hands, authorities said. 

Police did let the couple go after speaking to them. However, officers returned to the same area later that day after noticing that Veach’s ankle tracker was in the same place for over six hours, police said.

The tracker actually led police to the same area that Gentry claimed to be looking for his dogs, police said. While there, they discovered Veach’s dead body. 

According to authorities, Veach’s head had been bashed with a heavy object and she had been stabbed 24 times in the back.

Police obtained a warrant to search Gentry and Benson’s home, which is where they found a bloody baseball bat and bloodstains in several rooms of the home, police said.

They also found blood and bits of brain matter in the bed of Gentry’s truck, according to authorities. 

Gentry was found and arrested on April 8. According to the arresting officer, he said he saw Gentry inject himself with something before the arrest, which he later told police was fentanyl, given to his wife by Veach.

Gentry was charged with murder, murder in connection with a controlled substance and possessing drug paraphernalia, according to authorities. He is being held without bond.

According to court documents, Benson has not been charged in connection to the incident.