Tammy Keller, 39, of East Mountain was indicted for the murder last October of Cindy Starr, also known as Cindy K. Fanfarillo. Ms. Starr, of Pittsburg, had been reported missing by her family last October.
Skeletal remains were found in a wooded area of northern Upshur County on Jan. 7. The remains were identified through a medical examination by Southwest Forensics of Dallas.
Authorities said at the time that they had been told Ms. Starr had been killed, but did not initially treat it as a homicide case, pending collection of more information.
Ms. Starr’s remains were found with the help of the Shreveport, La. Fire Department and its cadaver dog.
The fire department also used a sonar device to find the woman’s car in a lake in northern Upshur County.
Sheriff Anthony Betterton said the woman was identified from dental records.
Ms. Keller had been arrested Jan. 5 on a charge of credit/debit card abuse for allegedly using Ms. Starr’s credit cards.
Bond was set at $250,000 on that charge, with bonds totalling $50,000 on drug violations.
Bond on the murder charge was set at $1 million.
The case was presented to the grand jury by Upshur County Assistant District Attorney Robert Cole Jr. and Sheriff’s Investigator David Dickerson.
When it met Feb. 25, the Upshur County Grand Jury returned 24 indictments, 11 of them sealed.
Those named in unsealed indictments, and the charges against them, included:
• Ronnie Gordon,35, Gladewater, assault on a public servant (two counts). Bond was set at $100,000 on each count.
• Shundarrell Cain, 36, Gilmer, tampering with physical evidence, a third-degree felony. Bond was set at $25,000, and she remains jailed in Upshur County.
• Dikeitha Lashun Cox, 29, Longview, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, a third-degree felony. Bond was set at $25,000.
• Jason Keith Farles, 31, Longview, unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, repeat offender, a second-degree felony. He was already jailed in Uphsur County on other charges.
• Jason Keith Farles, 31, Longview, evading arrest with a vehicle, repeat offender, a third-degree felony.
• Angela Joe Phillips, 42, Longview, delivery of a controlled substance-methamphetamine, a state jail felony. Bond was set at $10,000.
• Justin Scott Tanner, 24, Hawkins, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, a second-degree felony. Bond was set at $25,000, and he remains in the Upshur County Jail.
• Albert Lee Staner, 36, Longview, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, a state jail felony. Bond was set at $3,500.
• Eddie Ray Arnold, 23, Gilmer, debit card abuse, a state jail felony. He was already in the Upshur County Jail on other charges.
• Matthew Ashcraft, 19, Longview, evading arrest with a vehicle, a state jail felony. Bond was set at $10,000.
• Collin Joseph Payne, 22, Gladewater, evading arrest with a vehicle, a state jail felony. Bond was set at $5,000, and he remains in the Upshur County Jail.
• Ethan Dale Newsome, 18, Gilmer, evading arrest with a vehicle, a state jail felony. Bond was set at $5,000.
Sealed indictments included:
• Theft with two prior convictions, a state jail felony. (Two counts)
• Theft of property worth between $1,500 and $20,000, a state jail felony. (Two counts)
• Hindering secured creditors, a state jail felony.
• Indecency with a child, a second-degree felony.
• Criminal nonsupport, a state jail felony.
• Possession of a controlled substance-methamphetamine.
• Forgery, a state jail felony. (Three counts)
• Insurance fraud, a third-degree felony.
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