Son Allegedly Beat Mom to Death as Step-Dad Watched Before They Burned the Body — Then They Claimed She Was Out of Country By Samira Asma-Sadeque

A Tennessee teen and his stepfather appeared in court this week in connection with the alleged brutal killing of his mother, whose charred body was found in the family’s backyard in October.

Officers arrived at a Graysville, Tenn. home on Oct. 28, to inquire about 50-year-old Silvia Vilchez after she was reported missing, the Sequatchie County Sheriff’s Office confirmed to PEOPLE in a statement.

Her husband David Gardiner, 64, and 18-year-old son Gabriel Vilchez told officers she was in her native Costa Rica, according to an arrest report cited by ABC 7 and a Monday, Dec. 8 preliminary hearing cited by Costa Rica’s Tico Times.

Responding officers soon determined that the circumstances surrounding Silvia’s disappearance were suspicious, per the sheriff’s office’s statement.

During a search of the property on Oct. 30, investigators located charred human remains eventually determined to be Silvia’s, the sheriff’s office said.

A law enforcement official said during Monday’s hearing, which was live-streamed by Local 3 News, that investigators found the office room with red brown stains and blood splatter on the walls, desk and the printer.

In an interview during the ensuing investigation, Gabriel allegedly told police he beat Silvia with a bat in the office and dragged her body out to the fire pit, the officer said in court on Monday.

During a second interview, Gabriel allegedly said Gardiner, who is his stepfather, watched as he beat Silvia with a bat, and also hit her with the bat, the officer said.

Once they were done, they took her to the fire pit and burned her body, Gabriel allegedly said.

Gardiner told police he was asleep at the time of the killing and denied any involvement, the officer told the court.

The brutal killing has sent shockwaves among Silvia’s community and family members.

Her nephew told Tico Times that she had brought Gabriel to the United States to escape hardships they faced in Costa Rica, where the teen had a strained relationship with his father.

“She raised him and gave him everything,” her nephew Olman Mena told the outlet, claiming that Gabriel had a troubled past and was reported in school for being aggressive.

Silvia, who was known among her loved ones as “Gaby,” was a beloved member of her local church community.

“If you ever got to know her a little bit, your life was always enriched,” Lewis Chapel Church of God Pastor Jeff Smith told Local 3 News. “She was the type of person who doesn’t leave you the same or empty whenever you see her the next time. It’s a joy.”

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Authorities did not publicly disclose a possible motive behind the crime.

Gabriel and Gardiner are both charged with first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse, the sheriff’s office said in their statement.

Plea and attorney information for the two were not immediately available.

A judge set Gardiner’s bond at $250,000 and ordered Gabriel held without bail, per Tico Times.

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.