Deborah Ray

A 70-year-old woman was found covered in leaves and at the bottom of a stairway. She had been stabbed. Police have not identified her yet. Hugh Singleton Jr., 33, has been charged with first-degree murder and armed criminal action. Police said they talked to someone who claimed Singleton had been bragging about killing a woman and leaving her in a stairwell. Another witness said they saw Singleton burning items in a trash can, according to court records. Earlier in the day, Deborah Ray, 70, had called 911 to report someone harassing her about money. Video surveillance showed Singleton yelling at the woman in front of a store right before she made the call, police said. The surveillance footage then showed them walking toward the house the woman was found at, and a half-hour later, the video showed Singleton walking away with a dark stain on his sweatshirt, police said.