Dead Woman's Body Found Inside Tote In SUV; Driver Charged With Murder

A Florida man has been arrested after cops discovered a dead woman's body inside a tote in the back hatch of his SUV.

David Maurice Reed, 54, from St. Petersburg, was arrested on multiple charges including murder after police made the grisly discovery Wednesday, Law & Crime reported.

Kentucky State police reportedly said a trooper attempted to stop the SUV, as its operator seemed to be "driving carelessly." The driver initially stopped the vehicle when the officer activated his emergency lights and siren. However, when the officer approached, the driver, later identified as Reed, sped off south on I-75, prompting the officer to follow the vehicle.

After a high-speed chase through three counties, Reed was taken into custody without incident. The suspect reportedly struck several Kentucky State Police vehicles during the chase.

The deputies who searched the SUV found the victim's body stuffed inside a "plastic tote" in the back hatch of the vehicle. Deputies also saw red stains, which were believed to be blood, on Reed.

Police have sent the victim's body for an autopsy. "The cause of death is undetermined at this time, and foul play is suspected," Kentucky State Police said in a news release, as per the outlet.

The victim was identified Thursday as Rachel Louise Carder, 53, of Huntington, West Virginia, officials said, as reported by WKYT.

Investigators determined that Carder suffered injuries to her face and body, including signs of something "caused by an edged weapon," according to the outlet.

Meanwhile, it is still unclear when and where exactly Carder was killed.

"We're trying to find out where this crime happened — whether it happened on the interstate or if it happened in another county or another state. That's the thing that the troopers and other investigators are trying to put together," Kentucky State Police spokesperson Scottie Pennington told the Times-Tribune.

Investigators have not revealed the relationship between the suspect and the victim.

In addition to the murder charges, Reed faces charges of tampering with physical evidence, abuse of a corpse, fleeing or evading police, criminal mischief, wanton endangerment, careless driving, resisting arrest and having no operator's license.

Reed is scheduled to appear in court Friday. He is currently being held in the Laurel County Correctional Center on a $2 million cash bond.