A man from Philadelphia has been charged with murder, arson, abuse of a corpse, and related offenses in the stabbing death of a 15-year-old girl.
Sabriya McLean traveled to Philadelphia from her New Castle, Delaware home on Nov. 27 to meet 23-year-old Cole Swaringer-Herring, whom she had met on Facebook, WPVI reports. Her parents reported her missing that same day.
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McLean’s body was discovered the following day buried beneath a pile of leaves. Investigators say that the teenager was stabbed more than 80 times and her body had been set on fire, likely in an attempt to hide the crime.
Swaringer-Herring was arrested on the scene. It is alleged that his parents were out at the time of the murder and that he confessed his crime to them once they returned home. They alerted police to their son’s confession the next morning, leading to the discovery of McLean’s body.
“It was a very violent act so we’re looking at him in connection to some other possible cases that we’ve had,” Capt. Jack Ryan said, claiming that due to the violent nature of the crime it’s possible that the suspect may have killed before.
Police have not yet stated a motive for the murder. Swaringer-Herring is being held without bail. A preliminary hearing is set for Dec. 20.
