A man in McKinney, Texas has been arrested after police discovered the body of his ex-girlfriend wrapped in plastic wrap inside a refrigerator in his home on Sunday. Chad Christopher Stevens, 42, is facing charges of tampering with evidence and fabricating evidence related to the disposal of the deceased woman’s body. The victim, Heather Louise Schwab, had been reported missing by her mother in June.
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by NBC DFW, investigators executed a search warrant at Stevens’ residence where they found a refrigerator that had been suspiciously concealed with a piece of sheetrock. Inside the refrigerator, authorities discovered a small saturated human body, later identified as Heather by the Collin County medical examiner.
Heather’s mother described her daughter’s relationship with Stevens as “full of abuse,” stating that he would assault her but she would not leave. The mother also revealed that Heather had expressed fears of Chad killing her and hiding her body somewhere.
The investigation had initially hit a standstill, with no leads on Heather’s whereabouts, until Tammra Schwab, Heather’s mother, approached the police department in November, claiming to have received information from Stevens’ ex-wife that he had killed Heather and buried her in his backyard. Subsequently, investigators obtained a search warrant and used a drone to photograph Stevens’ property, which revealed “several anomalies” in the backyard.
Another ex-girlfriend of Stevens’ came forward during the investigation, reporting an assault offense from January, resulting in an arrest warrant being issued and a search warrant being obtained for his home. It was during this search that Heather’s body was discovered.
During questioning, Stevens admitted to hiding Heather’s body in the refrigerator after she died on July 26, 2022. He claimed to have been unsure of what to do when she passed away. Stevens also disclosed that there had been multiple physical altercations between him and Heather and that he had threatened to kill her on several occasions.
Stevens, who has a history of prior offenses including theft, driving while intoxicated, and assault, has been arrested and is currently held at the Collin County Detention Facility. His bond has been set at $150,000. It is unclear whether he has retained legal representation.
The family of Heather Schwab released a statement expressing their deep grief and appreciation for the McKinney Police Department’s efforts in locating Heather. They have requested privacy as they navigate this devastating time.
The investigation into Heather’s death is ongoing, with authorities attempting to determine the exact circumstances surrounding her demise.