Sean Finnegan, 52, and Rebecca Dishman, 22, have been charged with the murder of Jennifer Gail Paxton after her dismembered body was discovered in a freezer on August 6.
The couple is accused of kidnapping, torturing, sexually assaulting, and murdering Paxton, whom they initially offered a place to stay. They have been charged with first-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with evidence. Finnegan also faces aggravated rape and abuse of a corpse charges, while Dishman faces aggravated sexual battery and tampering with evidence charges.
Arrest warrants obtained by a local station, WATE, revealed that the couple lured the homeless Paxton to their home in December 2019 by promising her a safe place to stay. However, they held her against her will, chaining her to a bed, shackling her with a dog collar, and binding her arms with zip ties.
Finnegan and Dishman allegedly used baseball bats to beat Paxton, denying her medical care and food. They also allegedly raped her before strangling her to death.
They admitted to dismembering Paxton’s body, breaking ligaments and bones to fit it into a freezer. Dishman allegedly used bleach and a Swiffer to clean the living room and bedroom to remove blood and other evidence. Authorities claimed she also cleaned the victim’s body with bleach in the shower to eliminate any potential evidence on it.
When the couple suspected a police investigation, Finnegan removed the body from the freezer and hid it under his bed. He then cleaned out the freezer to erase any remaining evidence. They were arrested after the Oak Ridge police responded to a report of a homicide. Paxton’s body was discovered during a search warrant execution.
Finnegan and Dishman’s bail have been set at $1 million each, and they are expected back in court on August 18.
