MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - An accused killer linked to a case that terrified a community is being held without bond.
The suspect in this case Brandon Bowling is being held in the Rutherford County jail. He is accused of taking the life of 22-year-old Heather Maples.
"This young lady was found dead in her apartment. A place where she expected to be safe," said district attorney Jennings Jones.
Maples was found dead in her Murfreesboro apartment August 7th.
Neighbors at the time expressed shock.
"I can't imagine something like that happening so close to me. She was a sweet girl. I have no idea how something like that happened?" said Amanda Corey.
Over the weekend detectives arrested 22-year-old Brandon Bowling charging him with premeditated murder.
So what happened?
NewsChannel 5 obtained copies of the search warrant.
It states Maples was found laying on a mattress on her stomach in the apartment living room. Detectives found signs of blunt force trauma to her head and marks on her neck to indicate strangulation.
She was found partially naked and they believe she was possibly sexually assaulted.
"This is an extremely serious crime," said Jones.
Apparently, there were several suspects.
General Jones would not comment on what led police to Bowling.
But the arrest affidavit clearly calls the female victim's death a homicide.
Physical evidence collected at the crime scene linked Bowling to the scene of the crime.
Now Jones plans to prove murder and depending on the results of forensic testing aggravated rape.
Bowling was not Maple's boyfriend. His exact relationship to the murder victim remains a mystery.
