MAX MEADOWS, Va. — A Virginia woman who was out on bond for an earlier assault charge is now accused of first-degree murder after allegedly setting another woman on fire, resulting in her death, authorities said.
Savannah Adams, 28, is charged with killing Tiffany Dunford, a resident of Wythe County, in a violent attack that occurred on Sunday, Nov. 17. According to the Wythe County Sheriff’s Office, Adams doused Dunford in gasoline and set her ablaze as she sat on a couch in an outbuilding on her property in Max Meadows.
Deputies responding to a call about the incident found Dunford suffering from severe burns over most of her body. “The victim was transported by helicopter to a specialized medical facility for treatment of her injuries,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. Dunford succumbed to her injuries later that day.
Adams, who fled the scene in a silver 2004 Dodge Neon, was taken into custody early Monday after authorities shared her photo and vehicle information on social media. She initially faced charges of attempted second-degree murder and felonious assault, but the charges were upgraded to first-degree murder following Dunford’s death.
Adams and Dunford reportedly knew each other through friends and family, though the motive for the attack remains unclear. Footage captured by WSLS shows the charred remains of the couch where the attack occurred.
Adams was previously free on bond for an unrelated case in which she was accused of assaulting someone with a pipe.