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Tennessee couple raped, tortured and killed homeless woman before chopping off her breasts and nose

The couple lured the homeless woman by promising her a place to stay in December 2019 but they later killed her and also tried stuffing her body into a fridge
UPDATED AUG 8, 2020
Rebecca Dishman, Sean Finnegan (Anderson County Sheriff’s Office)
Rebecca Dishman, Sean Finnegan (Anderson County Sheriff’s Office)

OAK RIDGE, TENNESSEE: A couple is facing first-degree murder charges after they lured a homeless woman into their home, physically and sexually assaulted her before strangling her to death, the police reveal. 

The couple — 22-year-old Rebecca Dishman and 52-year-old Sean Finnegan — raped, beat up and tortured a homeless woman after which they dismembered her body, cutting her nose and breasts off, Metro reveals. The two were arrested on August 5 for torturing and murdering the victim, who is believed to be 36 years old. It is reported that Dishman and Finnegan had falsely lured the woman with the promise of a place to stay in December 2019. 

The victim has not been named yet as authorities are still trying to notify and inform her family. Once the victim moved into the couple's home, they held her against her will and beat her using a baseball bat. Court papers have revealed how the couple had restrained the woman using a dog collar, chained her to the bed and bound her arms using zip ties. They then proceeded to rape the woman many times. 

They also reportedly starved the woman. As reported by WVLT, the authorities had responded to the home located on the 300 block of East Fairview Road after reports of a possible homicide. Court documents also reveal how the victim was given no medical care, strangled with a ligature and left to die. Investigators added that after the victim was dead, the couple "physically mistreated a corpse in such a way as to be shocking and offensive". 

Finnegan had reportedly used sharp instruments to cut off a portion of the victim's breasts and a part of her nose. He had also allegedly broken many of the victim's bones to get the body into a stand-up freezer. He later took out the victim's frozen body from the fridge and tried to hide it underneath his bed. Officials revealed that Finnegan and Dishman had both admitted to their heinous crimes. 

When Finnegan realized that there was going to be an investigation, he also tried to clean the inside of the freezer after moving the body, Oak Ridge Today states. Dishman, on the other hand, had used 'bleach and a Swiffer' to try and clean up blood and other body fluids from the living room and bedroom floors. She used bleach and the bathroom shower to try and clean off the victim's body of any evidence. It is not very clear as to when the crimes had taken place exactly but affidavits state that they had taken place on or after December 23, 2019. Police found the body of the victim while searching the home. 

The Anderson Co. Sheriff's Office said that the couple is facing first-degree murder, aggravated rape, aggravated kidnapping, abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence. The suspects are currently being held in prison with the investigation ongoing. 

Anyone with information that may help investigators is asked to call ORPD at (865) 425-4399. Crime tips can also be submitted online at http://oakridgetn.gov/department/ORPD/Home. Information can be given anonymously.

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