Man Had Sex With Dead Body After Strangling Woman During Motel Room Assault

An Atlanta man on Thursday was sentenced to life in prison for killing a woman after breaking into a motel room. The man also had sexual intercourse with the dead body before lighting it on fire.

Wallace Muhammed, 48, was found guilty of murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, necrophilia, burglary and tampering with evidence, the Fulton County District Attorney's office announced in a press release on Thursday. He received life in prison without parole with an additional 40 years behind bars.

Muhammed broke into 60-year-old Linda Jarrard’s motel room on April 13, 2013, at the Town and Country Motel on Metropolitan Parkway in Atlanta, where Jarrad had been living.

Jarrard reportedly heard Muhammed enter her room and exited the bathroom to inspect the noise. After seeing Muhammed, she threated to call 911.

Evidence reportedly showed that Muhammed brutally attacked Jarrard, using his hands to pound her head, which caused bleeding on her brain.

Muhammed also choked the woman to prevent her from screaming, causing a bone in her neck to fracture. She died from strangulation, according to an autopsy.

Muhammed then had sex with the body. He then dragged the body into the bathroom and used a lighter and bed sheets to set the body on fire in the shower. After he left the motel room, the building's staff eventually discovered the body and notified authorities.

DNA processed by the Georgia Bureau of Investigations led to Muhammed's arrest in December 2015. He had previously been arrested 32 times.

After a sexual assault kit was processed, Muhammed's DNA was found on the body. His DNA evidence was also discovered under the body's fingernails.

During police questioning, Muhammed had admitted to the crime but still pleaded not guilty to all charges.