Columbia, S.C.- A 67-year-old woman was found beaten, strangled and hidden beneath the Christmas presents in her home. Police charged a younger woman who had befriended the victim.
Patty White, 40, is being held in the York County jail on fugitive charges, and is expected to be extradited Tuesday to face murder charges, authorities said.
Michele O'Dowd was discovered by her brother, Phil Axt, who had gone to check on her after she failed to show up for work. He found her buried under a pile of gifts, her face covered by a bloody towel.
Police said White was an ex-girlfriend of the victim's nephew, and was considered a family friend. They said White had returned to Florida to rob O'Dowd after staying with relatives in South Carolina.
"Whatever took place in that apartment went horribly wrong and she ended up beating and killing her," according to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. White then returned to South Carolina, where she confessed to authorities after she was pulled over and arrested Saturday.
Source: old.news.yahoo.com
