MATHEWS COUNTY, Va. — Two suspects are in custody after authorities discovered a man and woman dead in a burning home on Friday night in rural Mathews County, Virginia.
The Mathews County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call about a structure fire in the 17000 block of John Clayton Memorial Highway at 10 p.m. on Friday.
When deputies and firefighters arrived, they found flames coming from the front of a home. First responders entered the burning home and pulled out two people, but both were pronounced dead at the scene.
SCENE VIDEO: Homicide investigation launched after 2 found dead in Mathews County house fire
Authorities said both victims, identified as 54-year-old Chad Wayne Ashford and 56-year-old Audrey Elaine Hudgins Mowrar, appeared have have been shot multiple times.
Investigators credited the public for their tips as well as digital evidence and license plate readers for tracking the suspects, a 33-year-old Mathews County man and an 18-year-old woman from Gloucester County, to Newport News.
When Newport News Police tried to pull the pair over, both suspects ran from the car before being captured, according to officials.
Carol Paul Cormier Jr. of Mathews was charged with two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a murder, one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of burning or destroying a residential home.
Lacey Ann Horsley of Gloucester was charged with two counts of acting as an accessory after the fact in a murder and one count of conspiracy to burn/destroy a residential home.
Both are being held without bond at the Middle Peninsula Regional Security Center, officials said.
According to investigators, the victims were shot and killed on Thursday and then Cormier and Horsley returned to the scene of the crime on Friday to burn the house and destroy evidence.
"Investigators were able to recover the vehicle that was used in commission of the crime with assistance from the Newport News Police Department," deputies said. "With assistance from K9 Lycan from the Gloucester County Sheriff's Office, additional evidence was located in Gloucester Point."
Anyone with additional information that could help investigators was urged to call Investigator Rice with the Mathews County Sheriff’s Office at 804-725-7177.
Mathews County, located on the Middle Peninsula with a population of about 8,500, is roughly 72 miles and a 1-hour 20-minute drive from Richmond along Interstate 64 east, Route 33 and Route 198.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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