A Pennsylvania couple is in jail after it was reported that they lured a man to a house, shot him to death, then chopped up and burned his body.
According to a probable cause arrest affidavit acquired by Law&Crime, Terry Parker, 46, and Ronda Parker, 48, allegedly drove around with the victim’s body in the trunk while the kids were in the car and stopped for ice cream at some time after the murder.
The allegations against the married but seemingly split Parkers include abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and conspiracy to commit homicide in relation to the death of Ronda Parker’s lover, Michael Pruitt, 40. Summer Heil, a 36-year-old girlfriend of Terry Parker, is accused of abusing a corpse and tampering with evidence.
After Ronda Parker texted her daughter unsettling texts regarding a murder, Pennsylvania State Police troopers were called to her Springfield Township, northeast Pennsylvania, home at 7:20 a.m. on Monday.
When troopers arrived on the scene, the fire pit was still blazing, as documented in the affidavit. Pruitt’s bones were found in the pit, and investigators were able to authenticate their identity.
Ronda Parker claimed that Terry Parker had “lured” Pruitt to the house on Friday night in an interview with troopers.
Terry Parker allegedly shot Pruitt when he entered the kitchen. Pruitt dashed to Ronda Parker’s bedroom and attempted to duck behind her. But the affidavit states that Terry Parker “finished off” Pruitt at the bedroom doorway.
According to reports, Terry Parker placed Pruitt’s lifeless body in a sleeping bag, secured it with a metal chain that had a cinder block attached, and placed it inside a car trunk. According to the complaint, they traveled about on Saturday in search of places to dispose of the body.
With the kids in the car, they conducted a few errands, picked up a chainsaw, shovel, and waste bags, and even made an ice cream stop, according to the police. According to reports, Terry Parker’s ex-wife recommended burning the body when he requested her opinion.
According to the affidavit, Ronda Parker claimed that Terry Parker wanted Pruitt killed because he had engaged in “sexually inappropriate behavior with his daughters.”
In a purported interview with authorities, Heil said her boyfriend had informed her that Pruitt had been engaging in public masturbation in front of his minor children.
Pruitt’s body was allegedly hacked and burned throughout the most of Saturday by Heil and the Parkers. Terry Parker allegedly cut Heil’s arms and legs off after Heil revealed to the troopers that she had grabbed Pruitt’s limbs.
In addition, she acknowledged stabbing the deceased because, according to the police, she was “high on meth” and upset over what Pruitt had allegedly done to the kids. According to court filings, Ronda Parker claimed she painted over the blood on the kitchen walls and cleaned up the residence.
Text messages that Terry and Ronda Parker exchanged were obtained by the detectives.
Following their arrest, Heil and the Parkers were brought to the Bradford County Jail and are currently being held without bond. The date of their preliminary hearing is March 27.
