Grisly Discovery in McKinney: Missing Woman's Body Found in Refrigerator, Boyfriend Arrested
Nov 30, 2023, 02:00 AM
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McKinney Police Department in Texas has uncovered the remains of Heather Schwab, 35, in a refrigerator hidden away in a walled-off kitchen. The discovery comes over a year after Heather's disappearance, and her boyfriend, Chad Stevens, now faces charges related to tampering with evidence and assault causing physical harm.
The investigation was initiated in June when Heather's mother, Tammra Schwab,
reported her daughter missing. Despite a strained relationship, Tammra became
suspicious when a neighbor revealed not having seen Heather for several months.
Tammra, armed with concerns about Chad's alleged threats to Heather's life,
took matters into her own hands and provided a crucial lead to the police in
early November.
According to the warrant, Chad's ex-wife told Tammra that Chad said he "killed
Heather and buried her body in his backyard."
Police then reached out to the ex-wife, who said that she learned the information from her and Chad's daughter, according to the warrant.
Chad's ex-wife further implicated him, disclosing that he had
confessed to killing Heather and burying her in his backyard. The information
was relayed by their daughter, who also revealed Chad's disturbing threats when
she informed him of her pregnancy. This revelation prompted the police to
obtain both an arrest and search warrant for Chad's residence.
According to the warrant, the daughter told Chad she was pregnant
and that he "threatened to kill the baby if she did not have an abortion
and even threatened to kill her."
His daughter told the detective that she told her father he should
be careful about making threats like that since his girlfriend had gone
missing, to which her father responded by asking "how she knew about his
backyard and a bunch of other random things Briana had not brought up,"
according to the warrant.
Upon
searching the house, investigators found a refrigerator wrapped in plastic and
concealed behind sheetrock in the kitchen. Inside, they discovered Heather
Schwab's body. Chad Stevens, when confronted, admitted to hiding the body,
claiming Heather died in July 2022 after hitting her head in the shower.
However, the narrative was different from what Stevens told investigators in June when
he said Schwab left him and he didn’t know where she’d gone.
He also gave neighbors a completely different story when they asked where Schwab went, claiming the woman died of cancer.
During the search, authorities discovered the suspicious refrigerator wrapped in
plastic wrap. The arrest affidavit said the sole entry to the kitchen had
been “suspiciously closed and concealed from the remainder of the residence
with a piece of sheet rock.”
In interviews with McKinney police, Stevens said that Schwab died at his home on
July 26, 2022, and that he didn’t know what to do, so he put her body in the
refrigerator, the affidavit said.
However, police suspect she may have died in August based on a 911
call that month involving Chad and Heather.
Chad is currently charged with tampering with evidence with intent to impair a human
corpse and assault causing physical harm. He has not entered a plea in either
case, and additional charges may be filed pending the completion of Heather's
autopsy.
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The latest on Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK’s Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com
The investigation was initiated in June when Heather's mother, Tammra Schwab,
reported her daughter missing. Despite a strained relationship, Tammra became
suspicious when a neighbor revealed not having seen Heather for several months.
Tammra, armed with concerns about Chad's alleged threats to Heather's life,
took matters into her own hands and provided a crucial lead to the police in
early November.
According to the warrant, Chad's ex-wife told Tammra that Chad said he "killed
Heather and buried her body in his backyard."
Police then reached out to the ex-wife, who said that she learned the information from her and Chad's daughter, according to the warrant.
Chad's ex-wife further implicated him, disclosing that he had
confessed to killing Heather and burying her in his backyard. The information
was relayed by their daughter, who also revealed Chad's disturbing threats when
she informed him of her pregnancy. This revelation prompted the police to
obtain both an arrest and search warrant for Chad's residence.
According to the warrant, the daughter told Chad she was pregnant
and that he "threatened to kill the baby if she did not have an abortion
and even threatened to kill her."
His daughter told the detective that she told her father he should
be careful about making threats like that since his girlfriend had gone
missing, to which her father responded by asking "how she knew about his
backyard and a bunch of other random things Briana had not brought up,"
according to the warrant.
Upon
searching the house, investigators found a refrigerator wrapped in plastic and
concealed behind sheetrock in the kitchen. Inside, they discovered Heather
Schwab's body. Chad Stevens, when confronted, admitted to hiding the body,
claiming Heather died in July 2022 after hitting her head in the shower.
However, the narrative was different from what Stevens told investigators in June when
he said Schwab left him and he didn’t know where she’d gone.
He also gave neighbors a completely different story when they asked where Schwab went, claiming the woman died of cancer.
During the search, authorities discovered the suspicious refrigerator wrapped in
plastic wrap. The arrest affidavit said the sole entry to the kitchen had
been “suspiciously closed and concealed from the remainder of the residence
with a piece of sheet rock.”
In interviews with McKinney police, Stevens said that Schwab died at his home on
July 26, 2022, and that he didn’t know what to do, so he put her body in the
refrigerator, the affidavit said.
However, police suspect she may have died in August based on a 911
call that month involving Chad and Heather.
Chad is currently charged with tampering with evidence with intent to impair a human
corpse and assault causing physical harm. He has not entered a plea in either
case, and additional charges may be filed pending the completion of Heather's
autopsy.
Want to listen to ALL of our podcasts AD-FREE? Subscribe through APPLE PODCASTS, and try it for three days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj
Follow Our Other Cases: https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com
The latest on Catching the Long Island Serial Killer, Awaiting Admission: BTK’s Unconfessed Crimes, Delphi Murders: Inside the Crime, Chad & Lori Daybell, The Murder of Ana Walshe, Alex Murdaugh, Bryan Kohberger, Lucy Letby, Kouri Richins, Malevolent Mormon Mommys, Justice for Harmony Montgomery, The Murder of Stephen Smith, The Murder of Madeline Kingsbury, and much more! Listen at https://www.truecrimetodaypod.com