On December 7, 2016, 25-year-old Amanda Suarez, a mother of four, was found deceased in her home in Okeechobee, Florida. A relative discovered her body with a fatal gunshot wound to the back of her head. Investigations revealed that Suarez had allowed 21-year-old Christopher William Shows into her residence, as they were acquainted through family connections; Shows was reportedly dating Suarez's cousin. During his visit, Shows made unwanted sexual advances toward Suarez, which she rejected. Following this rejection, Shows retrieved a .22 caliber rifle from his truck, re-entered the house, and shot Suarez as she attempted to flee through the back door. After the shooting, he dragged her body into the kitchen, positioned it in the form of a crucifix, and engaged in sexual acts with her remains. At the time of the incident, Suarez's two-year-old son was present in the home.
The investigation led authorities to discover that Suarez's cell phone was missing from the scene. Detectives traced the phone to an area near Okeechobee Missionary Baptist Church, where it was found discarded and covered in blood. A crucial piece of evidence was a photograph on the device showing Shows inside Suarez's home, taken within 30 minutes of her death. Confronted with this evidence, Shows confessed to the crime, stating that he committed the murder out of a desire to "experience the feel" of killing someone.
Following his arrest, Shows was indicted on multiple charges, including first-degree premeditated murder, armed burglary with assault or battery while armed, abuse of a dead human body, second-degree petit theft, and tampering with evidence. He is being held without bond at the Okeechobee County Jail. The family of Amanda Suarez has expressed profound grief and called Shows a "monster" for his actions. They have also requested privacy, especially concerning the dissemination of detailed reports, to protect Suarez's children from further trauma.
