For context: In late October 2025, authorities in Sequatchie County, Tennessee, launched an investigation into the whereabouts of 50-year-old Silvia Vilchez after concerns were raised about her being missing. Her husband, 64-year-old David Gardiner, and her 18-year-old son, Gabriel Vilchez, initially told deputies she was on a trip to her native Costa Rica. However, conflicting statements and cellphone tracking led investigators to obtain a search warrant for their home in Graysville.

On October 30, detectives discovered extensive blood evidence inside the residence—including large stains on the carpet, spatter on the walls, and a shop vacuum containing suspected blood—along with charred human remains in a burn pit outside, plus additional remains in nearby woods. The medical examiner confirmed the remains as those of Silvia Vilchez. Both men were arrested and charged with criminal homicide and abuse of a corpse.

Gabriel Vilchez initially confessed in an affidavit to beating his mother to death with a baseball bat—allegedly while his stepfather watched—before they dragged her body to the burn pit and incinerated it. At a December 8, 2025, preliminary hearing, testimony highlighted the gruesome scene and an overheard jail call from Gardiner expressing intent to sell assets and flee if released.

The judge denied bond for Gabriel Vilchez due to the severity of the allegations, while setting Gardiner’s bond at $250,000. Gardiner’s attorney has consistently denied his involvement, arguing that evidence against him relies primarily on his stepson’s statements and is circumstantial, with no direct proof of participation.

Despite Gabriel’s earlier confession, he has now pleaded not guilty alongside Gardiner. The two are being tried as co-defendants and are scheduled to return to court on April 10, 2026.