Jealous ex-boyfriend ‘killed and dismembered’ student

A 19-YEAR-OLD Texas A&M University student was killed by her ex-boyfriend, who then dismembered and burned her body on a patio grill, authorities said at the weekend.

Investigators say Timothy Wayne Shepherd, 27, confessed to strangling Tynesha Stewart because he was angry she had begun a new relationship.

“We have determined through this investigation that the defendant dismembered Tynesha Stewart and he burned the body parts,” Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas said.

The announcement ended a debate in the Houston area about whether law-enforcement officials should launch a massive and expensive search of the area’s overflowing landfills in hopes of finding Stewart’s remains.

Officials first thought that the body had been disposed in a large trash bin that had since been emptied.

Sheriff’s investigators had decided against launching a costly search for Stewart’s remains. Complaints from activists and lawmakers prompted Thomas to get emergency approval to spend up to $500,000 (€376,000) for a search.

Thomas said he knew, but could not disclose, that there were no body parts to find. He said investigators were unable to release that information to the public or to Stewart’s family because of the investigation. Stewart’s family has since been advised, and understands why there will be no search, Thomas said.

Stewart was last seen with Shepherd on March 15 while she was home for spring break visiting her mother. Friends say the pair quit dating at the beginning of this school year.

Authorities did not give any more details about how they believe the slaying occurred, but said nothing remains of Stewart. Although human remains generally require extremely high temperatures to destroy, he would not discuss how he believed the body could be burned to nothing.