The one-time boyfriend of a northeast Georgia woman found beaten to death inside a burned log cabin is now facing a murder charge in her death.
Jeramy Ray Chastain was taken into custody Saturday during a traffic stop, hours after the body of 43-year-old Alecia Grace Stover was discovered. The two had been in an "on-and-off relationship," according to Habersham County sheriff's spokesman Lt. Matt Wurtz.
On Tuesday, GBI investigators secured a warrant on a charge of murder against Chastain, Wurtz said.
Chastain, who is from Dahlonega, was initially facing charges of criminal trespass and making false statements in connection with the case. The murder charge was added after Stover’s death was ruled a homicide.
RELATED: Woman's death ruled a homicide after northeast Georgia cabin fire
A GBI autopsy showed she died from blunt force injuries to her head, Wurtz said. Firefighters found her body Saturday morning after putting out the blaze at the cabin on Yonah Post Road in Alto, a small town just south of Baldwin that borders the Chattahoochee National Forest.
Photos shared by the sheriff's office showed the log building completely engulfed in flames.
MORE: Woman found dead after North Georgia cabin fire
Credit: Habersham County Sheriff's Office
Credit: Habersham County Sheriff's Office
According to the sheriff’s office, the fire is being investigated as an arson. The state fire marshal’s office was expected to make a final determination on cause.
Chastain has been held in the Habersham County Jail without bond since his Saturday arrest.
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