2 charged with homicide in 19-year-old's death

Three people have been arrested and charged in the death of Chase Anderson, a 19-year-old from Curwensville, according to Clearfield County District Attorney Bill Shaw.

A fourth person is wanted by police for his alleged role in trying to coverup the killing.

Kenja Tew, 22, and Denny Bailey, 38, have been charged with homicide, and Chantell Demi, 26, has been charged with criminal conspiracy to commit homicide. Charges are pending against 38-year-old Joseph Ralston.

Anderson was reported missing Aug. 22, was found days later in a wooded area of Pine Township and identified using dental records. His body was badly decomposed, because his alleged killers had taken measures to try to make him unidentifiable, according to Shaw.

Tew and Bailey allegedly stabbed Anderson 26 times and his body was burned, according to the district attorney's office.

Under Bailey's direction Demi and Ralston allegedly attempted to help coverup the killing by destroying evidence, including a Ford Explorer, used to take Anderson to a secluded area. Demi also "purchased duct tape, zip ties and garbage bags" to use for the killing, according to Shaw.

Tew and Bailey were charged with two counts of felony aggravated assault, felony kidnapping, four counts of criminal conspiracy charges, two counts of misdemeanor simple assault, misdemeanor abuse of a corpse, misdemeanor tampering with evidence and misdemeanor reckless endangerment.

Demi was additionally charged with two counts of felony criminal conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, felony criminal conspiracy to commit kidnapping, felony recklessly burning property, misdemeanor tampering with evidence and misdemeanor criminal conspiracy to abuse a corpse. Ralston will face charges of felony recklessly burning property, felony conspiracy to recklessly burn property and misdemeanor tampering with evidence.

The homicide charges against Tew and Bailey are non-bailable offenses. Demi could not post $100,000 bail. The trio has been incarcerated since the investigation began for parole violations.

This story was originally published April 3, 2018 at 12:45 PM with the headline "2 charged with homicide in 19-year-old's death."