Soldier Killed Girlfriend's Mother, Buried Corpse in Pa: DA

A Fort Meade soldier on leave visiting his girlfriend in Pennsylvania has been charged with murdering her mother after she attempted to break up the relationship between the two.

Authorities say Spec. Caleb G. Barnes, 20, is charged with criminal homicide, abuse of a corpse and statutory sexual assault after fatally stabbing Cheryl Silvonek at her Upper Macungie residence sometime after midnight Saturday.

Silvonek had voiced her opposition to the relationship between Barnes and her 14-year-old daughter, according to The Morning Call. Her daughter, whose name is not being released due to her age, is charged as a juvenile with abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence and hindering apprehension, the publication said.

Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin said the stabbing happened in Silvonek’s car after an argument broke out. After the fatal attack, Barnes and Silvonek’s daughter drove to the Walmart in Lower Macungie and bought alcohol and bleach to clean up the crime scene, Martin said.

The couple then drove to Haasadahl Road in South Whitehall and buried Silvonek’s body in a wooded area, the Morning Call said. After a neighbor alerted police to the suspicious scene, the car was located but abandoned, the Baltimore Sun reported.

However, police traced the vehicle back to the Silvonek residence, where Barnes later admitted to stabbing his girlfriend’s mother, investigators told 6ABC News.

Barnes is being held at Lehigh County Jail without bail.

(PHOTO: Caleb G. Barnes, Twitter)