Son 'beat mum to death as husband watched and then they burnt body

Gabriel Vilchez, 18, and his 64-year-old stepfather David Gardiner have been charged in relation to the death of Silvia Vilchez, whose charred remains were later discovered on the family's property

Gabriel Vilchez and David Gardiner

Gabriel Vilchez and David Gardiner (Image: Sequatchie Co. Sheriff's Office)

A teenage boy and his stepfather have appeared in court in connection with the alleged brutal killing of his mother, whose charred body was found during a search of the family's property. Gabriel Vilchez, 18, and his 64-year-old stepfather David Gardiner have been charged with murder and abuse of a corpse relating to the death of Silvia Vilchez.

A number of Silvia's friends contacted the police, concerned about her whereabouts, and when officers arrived at the family home to make enquiries, her son and her husband told them she was away in her native Costa Rica. But officials soon determined the circumstances surrounding Silvia's disappearance were suspicious.

During a search of the property, investigators located charred human remains eventually determined to be Silvia's, the Sequatchie County Sheriff's Office confirmed to PEOPLE in a statement. At a preliminary hearing on 8 December, a law enforcement official shared further disturbing details about a gruesome discovery in the family's home office.

READ MORE : Man discovers missing dad's body buried under family home where he lived for decades READ MORE : Man 'kills ex-girlfriend and parades body in shopping trolley before dumping remains'

Silvia Gabriella Vilchez

Silvia Gabriella Vilchez - her son and her husband have been charged with her murder

"There were red-brown stains on the garbage, on all four walls," Det. Bryan Wilkie said. "There was blood on the desk, on the printer, on the baseboards, all over the walls."

In an interview with police, Gabriel allegedly admitted that he beat Silvia with a bat in the office and dragged her body out to the fire pit.

During a second interview, Gabriel further claimed that his stepfather watched as he beat Silvia, and also hit her with the bat, the officer said. He said they then took her to the fire pit and burned her body.

However, Gardiner apparently gave a much different story. He told authorities he is a "heavy sleeper" and slept through the beating and burning of the body, insisting he knew nothing about what happened.

Authorities have not yet publicly disclosed a possible motive behind the crime, but both Gabriel and Gardiner have been charged with first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse. A judge set Gardiner's bond at $250,000 and ordered that Gabriel be held without bail, per Tico Times. Their next court date is Jan. 30.

READ MORE : Young mum 'burned to death in flat fire' after posting message about boyfriend

It follows the horrific news that a 13-year-old schoolgirl slit her mum's throat after she confiscated her phone. Svetlana Cheglyakova, 46, took away her daughter's mobile after a row about her online obsession, it is alleged. The girl then brutally killed her mother and cut her own hands before setting fire to the family’s flat in St Petersburg, Russia , according to local reports.

The teen claimed an intruder had broken into their flat, killed her mother and left her wounded before setting fire to the flat. But the young suspect had played out a sequence she earlier role-played in online games, it is alleged.

Later, under questioning by detectives, she admitted grabbing a knife and stabbing her mother in the neck following bitter arguments about her web browsing. The child also accused her dead mother of "not letting her hang out with friends", and monitoring her every step. She claimed her mother "constantly bullied her" and on the night of the alleged crime, "yelled at her, and slapped her".

The girl is currently in hospital. The Russian Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case for murder. But because she is below the age of criminal responsibility in Russia, it means she cannot face trial over her mother’s death.