Man found dead in blazing truck in 2015, Alabama officials say. Two now charged

A 2015 cold case slaying has led to murder charges against two people, Alabama officials reported.

Joshua Franklin Hill, 33, of Walker County and Cyrena Cheyenne Styles, 28, of Walker County are accused of killing Eric Cates and his dog, Gypsy, the Alabama Attorney General’s Office said in a Friday, Oct. 13, news release.

Hunters found Cates and his dog dead inside a burning pickup truck behind a school on March 21 2015, authorities told WVTM.

Cates was last seen getting gas on the evening of March 20, AL.com reported. He had plans to go to a barbecue that night but never showed up.

“They came through for us,” Tobbie Stover, the 32-year-old’s mother, told AL.com about the arrests.

Styles was arrested by Sumiton police and Hill by U.S. marshals, the attorney general’s office said. They were indicted by a grand jury.

If convicted, Styles and Hill face a maximum sentence of “99 years or life imprisonment,” the attorney general’s office said.

Walker County is about 45 northwest of Birmingham.

This story was originally published October 15, 2023 at 2:00 PM with the headline "Man found dead in blazing truck in 2015, Alabama officials say. Two now charged."