ATLANTA, GEORGIA: A Florida man reportedly stabbed his Instagram influencer partner to death and ditched her body in a wooded area near Atlanta before setting her car on fire, a newly-released probable cause arrest affidavit stated.
Eugene Louis-Jocques used a “sharp force instrument to inflict multiple wounds on the upper torso area” of Beauty Couch's body, according to the affidavit.
Louis-Jocques is facing charges of first-degree murder, arson and aggravated assault.
He was arrested in Louisiana on August 25 this year and extradited to Cobb County, Georgia, on Friday, September 15.
Louis-Jocques was denied bond on Saturday, September 16, during first appearance, court records show.
The victim was missing before the day of the murder
The probe into the incident began on August 24 at around 12.18 pm when Austell, Georgia, firefighters were called for a brush fire.
They found a fully scorched vehicle upon their arrival. They put out the fire and the vehicle was taken to a wrecker yard.
Austell police went to the home where the vehicle was registered and they came to know that the owner’s daughter, Couch, 22, was not seen since the day before, Cobb County Police said in a press release.
Apparently, she was the one who mostly used the vehicle. Austell police searched the area where the fire took place and discovered the victim's lifeless body near the wood line.
When was Louis-Jocques arrested?
Authorities identified Louis-Jocques as a suspect and got a warrant for his arrest. On August 25, US Marshals learned the 21-year-old had ties to the St Tammany Parish in Louisiana, which is to north of New Orleans.
Members of the St Tammany Parish identified areas where Louis-Jocques could be hiding, and they set up surveillance, a press release from the agency said.
Detectives witnessed Louis-Jocques driving at around 4.40 pm and they conducted a traffic stop and took him into custody without incident.
He was booked into the St Tammany Parish Correctional Center where he was held before being extradited to Georgia, the sheriff's office said.
The victim's devastated mother speaks after her tragic loss
Couch boasted over 150,000 followers on Instagram and often posted pictures of herself roller skating.
Her mother, Kimberly Couch told WSB TV that she could not understand why anyone would want to hurt her daughter.
“She was a sweet girl, she never bothered nobody,” she told the outlet, adding “She never bothered nobody. She was a friend to everybody. She loved going skating. She loved going to work. She loved her clothes. She loved wearing her hair so pretty.”
