Lorenzo Hudson, 42, was charged Monday with first-degree murder in the death of Shaquierra Pinckney, 22, who was found dead and badly burned in a remote cemetery in Palatka in 2015, according to reports.
Putnam County grand jury has indicted a Florida man in the murder of a pregnant Daytona Beach woman, found dead and partially burned in a cemetery there nearly eight years ago, according to reports.
Lorenzo Hudson, 42, was charged Monday with first-degree murder in the death of Shaquierra Pinckney, 22, who was found dead and badly burned in a remote cemetery in Palatka in 2015, according to reports.
Pinckney, a mother of two, left home, then disappeared after posting an ad online, according to WESH.
On Sept. 3, 2015, Pinckney’s body was discovered by a crew of mortuary workers at a church cemetery, with Putnam County Sheriff Gator DeLoach saying on Monday that her body was badly burned beyond recognition.
During an autopsy, the medical examiner discovered she was about four months pregnant, according to News 4 Jax.
DeLoach said that the victim was identified through very distinguishable tattoos that linked her to a missing person’s case out of Volusia County, according to News 4 Jax.
Her missing Honda Accord was found days later in St. Johns County, according to reports.
“There’s so much more I’d like to tell you about this case and about our suspect. But at the end of the day, we want a conviction so I cannot divulge any information such as motive or any other facts surrounding the case,” DeLoach said.
The cold case investigation involved the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, the Daytona Beach Police Department and the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office.
Deputies say Pinckney was known to access and upload photos to an adult website, while Hudson used the website to solicit sex. They believe that is how the pair met, according to First Coast News.
Hudson is currently serving a five-year prison term at the Okaloosa Work Camp, a minimum security facility, for burglary and grand theft charges dating back to 2018, the sheriff said.
Hudson now faces four new charges including capital felony murder, capital felony murder of an unborn child, second-degree felony use of a dead body and third-degree felony tampering with physical evidence.
“We never gave up. One of our most important functions is to serve as a voice for Shaquierra and those like her who was silenced when her life was brutally taken. She will never be forgotten by me or my detectives who work tirelessly to bring Hudson one step closer to justice,” DeLoach said.
Inside Edition Digital reached out to the Putnam County Courts for more information on the case and has not heard back.
It is unknown if Hudson has entered a plea to the charges in the Pinckney case or obtained legal representation.
DeLoach says he believes Hudson acted alone.
At this time, it's unclear if this will be pursued as a death penalty case. Officials say that decision will be made in the coming days.
The victim’s father, Herbert, spoke to WESH following the indictment and said, “It's a parent's worst nightmare.”
“It's been a long time. We've been waiting and finally, finally, we got our answer,” he added.
