- When police discovered human remains, they noticed distinctive tattoos
- The body was later identified as 50-year-old mum-of-two Laura Hughes
- Police tied her boyfriend, Christopher Blevins, to the crime due to disturbing evidence before he fled
Gazing at the fridge lying in the middle of remote bushland, hiker Jonathan Tyrrell frowned.
It was December 2024, and out for a walk, Jonathan had a bad feeling, so he phoned police.
When officers arrived, they made a gruesome discovery inside – a sleeping bag tied with ratchet straps concealed decomposing female human remains. And it appeared they had lain there for some time.
It was clear the woman had been murdered, and detectives were struck by the cruelty of the makeshift coffin discarded like rubbish in the forest.
‘Police began the hunt to uncover the woman’s identity.’
Noticing distinctive tattoos on the remains, along with a necklace and yoga mat, police began the hunt to uncover the woman’s identity.
Releasing a computer generated image of the koi fish and rose tattoos similar to ones on the woman’s body, authorities hoped someone who knew her might recognise them.
They also shared photos on social media of her necklace – a metal disc with a star indent – and a black yoga mat with a distinctive green pattern.
Within days they had an answer. The body was formally identified as 50-year-old mum-of-two Laura Hughes.
Laura’s ex-husband Cornel Alston and their daughters Jase, 18, and Iridessa, 13, reeled in horror when they learned of her passing.
Cornel explained to the police that Laura had previously struggled with alcohol abuse.
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Despite them no longer being romantically involved, he and Laura remained amicable. In fact, when she began dating Christopher Blevins, the pair moved in with Cornel and the girls, so they could spend quality time together as a family.
She loved her daughters dearly. However, Cornel couldn’t help but notice that Laura acted more like Christopher’s mother than his partner, trying to help him through issues with substance abuse.
In October 2023, after nine months, the couple moved out. Still, Laura remained in her daughter’s lives and cheered Jase on at her school graduation.
Cornel recalled he’d last heard from Laura in July when she left a voicemail saying she was planning to leave Christopher.
When she went silent, the family could never have predicted Laura had been murdered – her lifeless body entombed in a refrigerator in the scrub.
Although Laura had her fair share of struggles, the family wondered who would have wanted her gone.
‘Bizarrely, Christopher was nowhere to be found.’
Bizarrely, Christopher was nowhere to be found.
Searching the couple’s apartment, police found a gun and blue straps, strikingly similar to the ones securing the fridge Laura was discovered in.
Chillingly, they also discovered a calendar with an ‘X’ on every day leading up to July 24, 2024.
‘Had Christopher been counting down the days to Laura’s death?’
Obtaining footage from numberplate reading cameras around town, police discovered that Christopher’s ute had been spotted on that very same day with a large appliance in the tray, covered by what appeared to be a rug.
The following day, the vehicle was captured on camera again, only this time, the tray was empty.
Had Christopher been counting down the days to Laura’s death?
Certain he was involved, police put out a warrant for Christopher’s arrest, for second-degree desecration of human remains and third-degree hindering apprehension.
Still, weeks passed and he continued to evade authorities.
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Then in January 2025, police in California approached two men they suspected were having an illegal beach fire. Despite giving a false name, the officer recognised one of them as Christopher Blevins. He’d fled to Mexico before returning to the US.
After being extradited back to New Jersey, Christopher Blevins was charged with murder.
In Camden County Superior Court in October 2025, prosecutors said Christopher Ryan Blevins, then 46, strangled Laura before dumping her body in the fridge he’d taken from the car dealership where he worked. Striking a deal, Blevins pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of aggravated manslaughter.
Ahead of sentencing, Cornel told the court, ‘This death will never be off my children. They will carry this the rest of their lives. My kids should never have to worry about someday, their mother’s killer will walk down the same side of the sidewalk.’
Blevins apologised to Laura’s devastated family for the murder and in a statement read by his lawyer gave a pathetic excuse. ‘I didn’t mean for it to happen. I do not know why it happened,’ he said.
In March this year, Christopher Blevins was sentenced to 17 years’ jail.
Judge David Ragonese also imposed a 10-year sentence for desecration of human remains to be served concurrently. The judge said, ‘The crime’s cruel nature also adds to her family’s suffering.’
‘She was a good person at heart.’
As Laura’s daughters came to terms with their loss, Jase spoke to NBC about their mum. ‘She was a good person at heart,’ she said.
