An Effingham County magistrate has ordered the arrest of a Rincon woman for violating bond conditions following her arrest in Florida on Aug. 29.
Chief Magistrate Scott Hinson ordered the arrest on Aug. 30 of Kimberly Moretz. Moretz is awaiting trial on charges of concealing the death of Charlie Ray, 35, of Wilmington Island.
Moretz was arrested in Naples, Fla. on a Charlotte County, Fla. bench warrant on Aug. 29.
Effingham County Sheriff’s Office spokesman David Ehsanipoor said it is possible that Moretz fled the Effingham County area to avoid trial.
Moretz is also charged with hindering apprehension of a criminal and tampering with evidence.
The trial is set to begin on Sept. 23.
Her husband, Chad Moretz, took her hostage on Jan. 11 in their house in the Westwood Heights subdivision in the Rincon area.
Chad Moretz was shot to death by a Savannah SWAT team member after an armed standoff with police.
When investigators entered the hostage scene at the Whitehall Avenue home, they discovered the partial remains of Ray. Ray’s torso and limbs were found in garbage bags in a rental storage unit rented by Kimberly Moretz in Jasper County, S.C.
Investigators believe Chad Moretz stabbed Ray to death in the kitchen of the Moretz residence on Jan. 1 or 2.
Also charged in the case was Kevin Lambert, the brother of Kimberly Moretz.
Lambert pleaded guilty on Aug. 6 to hindering the apprehension of a criminal. Superior Court Judge F. Gates Peed sentenced Lambert to five years of probation and required him to stay out of the Ogeechee Judicial Circuit and stay away from Ray’s family.
Moretz is being held in the Charlotte County Jail.
Ehsanipoor said investigators from Effingham headed to Florida on Sept. 5 to pickup Moretz.