TEEN SON DENIED BOND AFTER CONFESSING TO BEATING MOTHER TO DEATH AND BURNING BODY
On December 8, 2025, 18-year-old Gabriel Vilchez and his 64-year-old stepfather, David Gardiner, appeared in a Sequatchie County preliminary hearing on charges of criminal homicide and abuse of a corpse in the death of Silvia Vilchez.
Gabriel, who confessed in an affidavit to beating his mother to death with a baseball bat and burning her remains—allegedly with Gardiner watching or assisting— was denied bond, while Gardiner received a $250,000 bond despite his attorney’s denial of involvement and arguments that evidence against him was weak and circumstantial.
Testimony revealed blood spatter throughout the home, conflicting initial stories about Silvia traveling to Costa Rica, and an overheard jail call where Gardiner expressed intent to sell his possessions and flee. Judge L. Thomas Austin described the case as one of the most egregious he had seen, and both defendants are scheduled to return to court on January 30, 2026.
Separately, Gabriel Vilchez faces an aggravated assault charge in Marion County.
