In a chilling case out of Kentucky, a man named Salko Husejnovic, 31, is accused of murdering his wife, Jasmina Aljic, and leaving her lifeless body in the kitchen for three days. During this time, he allegedly assured their three children that “mommy was sleeping.” Husejnovic now faces charges of murder, tampering with physical evidence, and abuse of a corpse in connection with the incident in Bowling Green.

The grim discovery unfolded on January 19, when the Warren County Sheriff’s Office responded to reports of a car fire following a collision on Threlkel Ferry Road. Upon arrival, emergency crews found the vehicle completely engulfed in flames. After extinguishing the blaze, they uncovered a body inside. An investigation revealed that Aljic had died before the fire, as there was no soot in her lungs, indicating she was already deceased when the car was set ablaze.

Authorities allege that Husejnovic attacked and killed his wife three days prior to the discovery of her body. During this time, he and their children remained in the home with Aljic’s body on the kitchen floor. He reportedly told the children that “mommy was sleeping,” according to an arrest citation obtained by Lexington Fox affiliate WDKY.

Complicating matters further, Husejnovic allegedly enlisted the help of Shelly Boyd, 44, who was dating his brother. Boyd is said to have witnessed the attack but failed to intervene. She allegedly purchased the gasoline used to set the car on fire. Together, Boyd and Husejnovic drove to the location on Threlkel Ferry Road and torched the vehicle. Boyd now faces charges of tampering with physical evidence and abuse of a corpse.

During a preliminary hearing, a detective revealed that Aljic had previously obtained a protective order against Husejnovic in Missouri. She had been living in Missouri until shortly after Christmas when she relocated to the Bowling Green area. This tragic case continues to unfold as investigators seek justice for the victim.

A detective testified at a preliminary hearing on Friday that Aljic had a protective order against Husejnovic out of Missouri, according to a courtroom report from the Bowling Green Daily News. Aljic was living in Missouri until after Christmas, when she moved to the Bowling Green area.

Detectives went to Husejnovic’s home after finding Aljic’s body, but Boyd reportedly answered the door and claimed he was not home. Cops learned Husejnovic was inside hiding and he eventually came out on his own. Husejnovic at first denied knowing his wife’s whereabouts saying he last saw her in November, the Daily News reported.

Investigators reportedly testified that during a search of the home, they found a bag of clothing hidden in a kitchen cabinet. Surveillance video allegedly showed Boyd wearing the same clothing when she and Husejnovic were trying to get rid of the car. Authorities also discovered three bloodstained pillows in the washing machine, detectives stated.

Boyd eventually admitted to detectives she saw Husejnovic “beating” his wife, according to reports. She also reportedly confirmed the body was on the kitchen floor for three days. Boyd stated that Husejnovic initially wanted to push the car down a cliff with Aljic’s body inside but when that didn’t work he set the car on fire, detectives reportedly testified.

In an interview with detectives, Husejnovic allegedly admitted to hitting his wife during an argument and that she stopped breathing. He claimed it was Boyd’s idea to not call 911 and leave the body in the kitchen, per the Daily News.

Authorities are still trying to determine the victim’s cause of death.

Husejnovic remains in the Warren County Jail on a $1 million bond while Boyd is in jail with a nearly $50,000 bond.