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A Virginia woman previously out on bond for assaulting someone with a metal pipe now faces first-degree murder charges. Savannah Adams, 28, is accused of dousing Tiffany Dunford, a resident of Wythe County, in gasoline and setting her on fire while Dunford was sitting on a couch.
The incident occurred on Sunday, Nov. 17, at an outbuilding on a property in Max Meadows. According to authorities, Dunford suffered severe burns across most of her body. She was airlifted to a specialized medical facility but succumbed to her injuries later that day.
Footage from WSLS shows the scorched remains of the couch where Dunford was attacked. The Wythe County Sheriff’s Office received a report of the incident and found Dunford alive but critically injured.
Adams, who reportedly knew Dunford through mutual friends and family, fled the scene in a silver 2004 Dodge Neon. The sheriff's office identified her vehicle on Facebook and shared her photo. Adams was apprehended early Monday and initially charged with attempted second-degree murder and felonious assault. Following Dunford's death, the charges were upgraded to first-degree murder.
“Tiffany could light up a room,” said Dunford’s cousin, Nancy Reyna, in an interview with WFXR. “Whether she was in the right or wrong, I still loved her, but she didn’t deserve to be burned. This is devastating for me and my family.”
Authorities confirmed that Adams and Dunford were acquaintances, and family members corroborated this on social media. Both women were mothers and had posted photos with their children online. Relatives of Dunford also alleged that Adams hacked a family member’s Facebook account and sent messages from it after the attack.
Adams has a lengthy criminal history, including charges of assault and trespassing. She was set to stand trial in Pulaski County on Monday, Nov. 18, for a separate July 8 misdemeanor destruction of property case. Additionally, she had a Dec. 5 trial scheduled for a 2023 attack involving a metal pipe.
The victim in that case had previously told a witness, “Savannah was trying to kill me,” according to court documents. Adams, who had been out on bond for the pipe attack, is now being held without bond at the New River Valley Regional Jail.
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