A woman has been charged with second-degree murder in addition to existing charges of abuse of a corpse and possession of methamphetamine by a Hamilton County grand jury.
Jamie May Smith, 46, was living at the Motel 6 on Lee Highway in 2023 when she told police that she found Jose Lopez unresponsive, according to an affidavit from police, and wanted to get rid of his body.
Smith was arrested again on Thursday after a grand jury returned an indictment charging her with second-degree murder, abuse of a corpse and possession of methamphetamine.
(READ MORE: Chattanooga woman charged with corpse abuse after body found in barrel)
Police had received a tip that there was a dead body in one of the motel’s rooms. An investigator discovered the body inside a barrel with a blanket on top. Security footage showed Smith, who also goes by Jamie Holland, leaving the room where Lopez’s body had been found.
During an interview with police, Smith said she had frequently done drugs with Lopez in her room. She told police that methamphetamine they found had been hers, according to the affidavit, and said when she found Lopez’s body, she panicked and went to nearby baseball fields to get a barrel.
She told police that she wanted the body out of her room but did not want to call police or go to jail, according to the affidavit.
Contact breaking news reporter Kailee Shores at kshores@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6659.