Denny Christopher Rumfelt courtesy of the Meade County Sheriff’s Office
A Kentucky man’s murderous claim has resulted in a murder indictment over the killing of a woman whose body was found in a sleeping bag with duct tape across her mouth and eyes.
Denny Christopher Rumfelt, 29, stands accused of one count of murder in the first degree over the late September death of 26-year-old Meaghan Dunn. The defendant is also charged with tampering with physical evidence and abuse of a corpse. Both Rumfelt and the victim are from Vine Grove, Kentucky.
As Law&Crime previously reported, Rumfelt was arrested by deputies with the Meade County Sheriff’s Office on Sept. 22 after he allegedly told his family that he committed a brutal murder the day before.
According to an initial police report obtained by local Fox affiliate WDRB, Rumfelt came home around 3 p.m. and met with his mother, father, and brother. Shortly thereafter, he admitted to killing Dunn and said that her remains were probably in his vehicle parked in front of the house, the family members allegedly told law enforcement.
According to police, the defendant, standing in the doorway, allegedly offered a macabre description of what he had done with the victim’s corpse: “It is wrapped up in carpet and has tape around it.”
“It is very gruesome and rare here in Meade County,” Meade County Sheriff’s Detective Danny Knell told WDRB.
Rumfelt was arrested without incident–walking out of the family house and giving himself up after sheriff’s deputies arrived.
One quickly-obtained warrant later, authorities were allowed to legally access and search the defendant’s GMC Sierra. Deputies discovered what was described as a “multi-colored sleeping bag” covered in duct-tape on the passenger side of the pickup truck–whereupon the sleeping bag was removed and rested on top of a piece of plexiglass.
“I executed the search warrant and removed the sleeping bag from the truck and then a body was found,” Knell added.
The body wasn’t removed from the bag until the local coroner arrived, cutting away the duct tape from the outside before discovering the duct tape lashed across the victim’s mouth and eyes.
In an initial interview, investigators allegedly discovered blood on the defendant’s clothes and ears as well as a few cuts on his arms and fingers–the former requiring medical attention and stitches.
Earlier this month, Rumfelt made bond and was released from jail.
“His family was able to come up with the $100,000 in cash and he was bonded out,” Knell said.
Surrounded by his family, the defendant walked away from the Meade County Detention Center on Oct. 8–but was back in jail just a week-and-a-half later after being indicted.
Additional details have been released since Rumfelt’s first arrest.
According to investigators, the alleged killer and the victim were previously in a relationship and had also been neighbors.
Autopsy results for the victim have yet to be returned.
Dunn graduated from the University of Kentucky, according to her obituary. She previously worked at the Elizabethtown Animal Hospital before pursuing her own career in veterinary medicine, according to a Facebook post.
“Our hearts are hurting as we have learned that our friend and coworker was murdered earlier this week,” the hospital said just after she died. “Meaghan Dunn has been a receptionist and assistant at our clinic for almost a year. She moved closer to WKU to pursue her pre-vet career and left us to work at a clinic nearer the college just a few short weeks ago. This loss has left us with questions we may never get answers to, but we are glad to have known her however briefly. We would like to extend our condolences to friends and family she leaves behind.”
[image via Meade County Detention Center]