GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A man is accused of suffocating his ex-girlfriend and landing a deadly blow to her head before hiding her body and lying about her disappearance, warrants show.
A criminal arrest warrant out of Gwinnett County now formally accuses Brandon Wineinger of malice murder, felony murder and aggravated assault in the death Aimee Lafakis.
The 48-year-old was reported missing in Brookhaven on Sept. 28. Her remains were found 48 hours later on Drowning Creek Road in Dacula near a construction site in a field.
After Gwinnett County investigators found her body, Wineinger, a man she had a previous relationship with, was arrested. The 43-year-old was taken into custody in DeKalb County on charges of kidnapping, tampering with evidence, first-degree burglary and making false statements. He was booked into the DeKalb County Jail.
In Gwinnett County, Wineinger was also accused of concealing the death of another, which now accompanies his murder charges.
Warrants accused Wineinger of "unlawfully and with malice aforethought caused the death of Aimee Lafakis, a human being, by blunt force trauma to the head and asphyxia." Wineinger is accused of killing her between 3 a.m. and 8 a.m. on Sept. 29.
Wineinger remains behind bars in DeKalb County.
Lafakis leaves behind a daughter.
Faith Corbin, who identifies herself as one of Lafakis' best friends, said she had spoken to her two days before she disappeared. Corbin said she was offering her advice regarding Wineinger; advice that Lafakis had shared before.
"Aimee was the one to get me out of the same situation she was in just with someone else, so it hit extremely close to home," Corbin said. "I believe she felt she had this taken care of."
Corbin hopes questions surrounding her best friend's death are answered soon.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. If you need to talk to someone or know someone who might need advice, you can contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline.