Savannah Adams, Virginia woman sets Tiffany Dunford of Wythe County on fire to settle score. Suspect with previous criminal history had been scheduled to appear in court a day before settling ‘friend’ ablaze.
A Virginia woman who was free on bond for assaulting a person with a pipe has been accused of dousing ‘her friend’ in gasoline and setting her on fire and killing her.
Savannah Adams, 28, is alleged to have set Tiffany Dunford, of Wythe County on fire on Sunday as the unwitting victim and mother of two sat on an outdoor couch at her home in Max Meadows.
According to police, Adams drove up to Dunford’s residence, covered the woman in gasoline as she sat outdoors, watched as the family friend was set ablaze before driving off.
Tiffany Dunford, Wythe County ‘friend’
The Wythe County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the scene following notice of a fire where upon they discovered Dunford ‘suffering from severe burns covering most of her body.’
She was airlifted to a nearby hospital where she died from her injuries the next day, WSLS reported.
The sheriff’s office described finding a charred couch and other burnt items at the crime scene.
It remained unclear why Adams targeted her victim, but a couple people close to Dunford posted about Adams allegedly hacking one of her family members on Facebook.
Notice of Dunford’s horrific death led to family and friends expressing angst and disbelief.
‘Anybody that knew Tiffany, she could light up a room, and whether she was in the right or wrong, I don’t care, I still loved her, but she didn’t deserve to be burned,’ Dunford’s cousin, Nancy Reyna, told WFXR. ‘Tiffany is too nice of a person, and this is devastating to me and my family.’
Prior criminal history
Police investigators report that Dunford and Adams were acquaintances who knew each other through friends and family, according to WSLS, with posts on Facebook from Dunford’s relatives also confirming this. Both women described themselves as mothers and each have pictures with their kids online.
The sheriff’s office reached out to the public for help finding Adams, sharing an image of the silver 2004 Dodge Neon in which she fled the scene, along with mugshots of Adams who had a bevy of previous criminal arrests.
Adams was taken into custody on Monday where she was initially charged with attempted first-degree murder before charges were ramped to first degree murder and malicious assault following Adams’ death later that day, according to WDBJ.
According to the Bristol Herald Courier, Adams has a lengthy rap sheet and was supposed to be tried Monday in Pulaski County on a July 8 misdemeanor destruction of property charge. She also had a Dec. 5 trial date scheduled and was free on bond for an alleged attack she committed on a woman in 2023 with a metal pipe.
Settling a score?
‘Savannah was trying to kill me,’ the victim reportedly said of Adams, according to court documents, the Courier previously reported.
For that case, Adams was charged with assault and trespassing, the latter of which she’s been convicted of twice in the past, along with obstructing justice.
It remained unclear if Sunday’s crime was related to Monday’s upcoming court case.
The repeat offender is currently being held without bond at New River Valley Regional Jail.
Adams is due in court on January 31. If convicted, Adams faces life in prison.
