Over a month after a body was found inside a burnt vehicle in Columbus, law enforcement has identified the victim.
The victim is Elias Trudell, 22, of Colorado Springs, Colo. The Lowndes County coroner told WTVA that investigators were able to identify Trudell through a DNA comparison with that of his mother’s.
Trudell’s vehicle was found on Labor Day weekend inside a vehicle that had been set on fire at the entrance to Luxapalila Creek Park. The news sparked questions across the community, but according to police, Trudell is believed to have been transporting drugs from Colorado to Mississippi and was killed due to a deal gone bad.
Seven individuals are facing charges in the case – Jaleen Young, 24; Kenneth Jones, 20; Isaac Harris, 19; Treveon Little, 23; Makye Butler, 19; and David Hall, 25. Young and Jones are charged with murder while the others are facing charges of conspiracy to traffic a controlled substance.
