Laura Cardenas was reported missing by her employer on Wednesday, October 25, after she didn’t show up for work for two days, according to a release from Henry County Sheriff Wayne Davis.
Deputies responded to her home and spoke with her fiancé, Adam Hughes, who told them he had not seen her since Saturday, October 21.
On Thursday, October 26, investigators executed a search warrant on the home and alleged they discovered human blood inside. Investigators also seized two vehicles from the home and subsequently obtained search warrants to search them for evidence. Inside Hughes’s truck, authorities allege multiple blood samples were recovered from the bed of the truck and the back seat.
Investigators explored leads that Cardenas’s remains were possibly located in South Boston, VA. On Tuesday, October 31, Henry County Sheriff’s investigators and the Virginia State Police traveled to South Boston to search for those remains. Her remains were located in a wooded area near the roadway.
On November 1, Virginia State Police Agents conducted rapid DNA testing and confirmed those remains were Laura Cardenas.
As a result of this investigation, Hughes, 41, of 1588 Kings Mill Road, Ridgeway, was charged with second degree murder and concealment of a dead body.
Davis extended his gratitude to thank Henry County Commonwealth Attorney Andrew Nester and his staff, the Virginia State Police, the South Boston Police Department, as well as his deputies and investigators for their tireless work to provide closure for the family.
Davis also said, “most of all, we would like to give our deepest sympathies to Ms. Cardenas’s family during their time of grief.”
Anyone having information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Henry County Sheriff’s Office at (276) 638-8751 or the Crimestoppers Program at 63-CRIME (632-7463). The Crimestoppers Program offers rewards up to $2,500 for information related to crime. The nature of the crime and the substance of the information determine the amount of reward paid.
