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Written by: A. Smith
Published June 29, 2025 @ 12:35 PM ET
Update: A Fayette County man who admitted to killing his wife and attempting to cover up the crime has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Kenneth Hardin Jr. pleaded guilty Monday to felony murder and several related charges in connection to the death of his wife, Carrie Hardin, in August 2024. A judge sentenced him to life without parole, along with a 10-year concurrent sentence for concealing her death and a consecutive five-year sentence for possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
The investigation began on Aug. 21, 2024, when deputies responded to a call from Hardin’s father, who reported that his son had confessed to killing his wife the day before, burning her body, and planning to flee town. Deputies went to the couple’s home on Merlin Court, where they found blood evidence and signs of a cleanup attempt.
A cadaver dog later discovered Carrie Hardin’s burned remains buried in a shallow grave behind the home. Sheriff Barry Babb said she appeared to have died from gunshot wounds.
Following the discovery, authorities tracked Kenneth Hardin to a motel in Louisiana, where he had checked in shortly after the crime.
District Attorney Marie Broder, whose office prosecuted the case, praised the efforts of investigators and expressed sympathy for the victim’s family.
“While nothing can bring Carrie Hardin back to her sons, I am proud of the efforts by law enforcement and my office to bring some measure of justice to her family and dignity to her legacy,” Broder said.
FAYETTE COUNTY, Ga. – Kenneth Hardin Jr., a man accused of murdering his wife, Carrie Hardin, and subsequently burning her body, was apprehended in Louisiana on Wednesday. Hardin Jr. is now awaiting extradition to Georgia, where he faces serious charges related to her death.
Authorities discovered Carrie Hardin’s body on Wednesday in a shallow grave behind the couple’s residence on Merlin Court in Fayetteville. Fayette County Sheriff Barry Babb rsaid that the victim’s remains showed signs of gunshot wounds and had been partially burned before being buried under yard debris.
“The officers could definitely tell immediately that there was somebody with some blood loss and that somebody had attempted to clean the crime scene,” Sheriff Babb commented. He described the situation as “shocking as hell,” adding that the case seemed like something out of a television crime show.
Hardin Jr., 39, reportedly confessed to his father that he had shot his wife and subsequently burned her body. According to Sheriff Babb, Hardin Jr. told his father that he “killed his wife in self-defense, burned her body and was leaving town.” This confession led Hardin Jr.’s father to notify law enforcement, providing crucial information that eventually led to Hardin Jr.’s arrest.
Hardin Jr. fled to Louisiana, where Fayette County deputies located him at a motel in Covington. With the help of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Louisiana State Patrol, a SWAT team successfully apprehended Hardin Jr. in his motel room.
Sheriff Babb noted, “I got almost basically two calls at the same time, that the cadaver dog located our victim, which was buried in a very shallow grave on the back part of the property, and at the same time that the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office took him into custody without incident.”
As of Thursday evening, Hardin Jr. was being held at the St. Tammany Parish Correctional Center as a fugitive from justice. Fayette County investigators are in Louisiana to continue questioning Hardin Jr. and prepare for his extradition to Georgia.
Sheriff Babb praised Hardin Jr.’s cooperation, citing Captain Lee, a seasoned investigator, who remarked, “I’ve never had a homicide suspect, want to tell us everything.”
The couple’s two young children—one in elementary school and the other in middle school—are now under the care of family members. Sheriff Babb reflected on the broader impact of the crime, noting, “The tragedy is here was a family that is now completely imploded. And you’ve got more than one victim that’s deceased. You’ve got a lot of victims, especially those little boys.”
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