SEQUATCHIE COUNTY SON CONFESSES TO KILLING OF MOTHER
In Sequatchie County, Tennessee, 50-year-old Silvia Vilchez was reported missing on October 28, 2025, after a welfare check at her home on Snyder Loop in Graysville. Her husband, 64-year-old David Gardiner, and 18-year-old son, Gabriel Vilchez, claimed she was traveling in Costa Rica, but conflicting statements and cellphone tracking led investigators to obtain a search warrant.
On October 30, a search revealed large blood stains on the carpet, red spatter on walls, a shop vacuum containing suspected blood, and a burn pit with charred human remains later confirmed as Vilchez’s, with additional remains found in nearby woods. An affidavit states Gabriel Vilchez confessed to beating his mother to death with a bat while his stepfather watched, after which they burned her body. Both men were arrested and charged with criminal homicide and abuse of a corpse.
The tight-knit community, where Vilchez was known as a kind-hearted churchgoer who prioritized others, expressed profound heartbreak over the tragedy. The investigation remains ongoing, with remains sent to the Nashville Medical Examiner’s Office for further analysis.
