The husband of a woman who was murdered in neighboring Grundy County last week is being questioned in connection with her death.
The body of 26-year-old Samantha Chandler was found lying near a wooded trail Sunday by ATV riders. The discovery was made in the Ross Creek area just after noon. By Monday, the TBI had declared the death a homicide.
Lawmen say Chandler’s body was found around 150 feet from a gravel road, near a remote trail. The Rock Creek area is a popular spot for ATVs due to the fact the road is surrounded by dense woods and trails. While the official cause of Chandler’s death has not been revealed, based on the preliminary autopsy report, TBI agents say they are investigating Chandler’s death as a homicide.
According to family members, the young mother was last seen around 2 a.m. the morning of her death at her grandmother’s house. Her family says she was a loving mother to a 3-year-old daughter and cannot imagine who would kill her.
However, it has been learned there was a contested child custody case involving the child’s father and the victim’s estranged husband, Daniel Chandler, which has led TBI agents to his door as they view him as a person of interest. The couple was reportedly going through a divorce and child custody was a major sticking point.
According to informed sources, investigators have made inquiries into Mr. Chandler’s whereabouts at the time of his wife’s death and have gone so far as to take personal items, including his vehicle, for analysis at the crime lab.
Mr. Chandler, through his attorney, Bud Sharp, has denied killing his wife, maintaining he was in Alabama at the time of her death.