Suvechha Sarkar
In August 2022, the small community of Cross Lanes, West Virginia, was shaken to its core by the horrific murder of Cynthia Mudd. She was a kind individual, a dutiful mother, and a loving grandmother, who suddenly went missing before her remains were eventually discovered in the backyard of her residence. Investigation Discovery’s ‘See No Evil: The Green Carpet’ carefully pieces together the chilling sequence of events leading up to the crime and features surveillance footage that helped bring the killer and the person who helped him to justice. It also features interviews with her loved ones and the officials whose tireless efforts solved the case.
Cynthia Mudd Was a Respected Virologist and Devoted Family Woman
Cynthia Mudd, lovingly known as Cindy, was born sometime in 1951 and arrived as a bundle of joy in her parents’ lives. She grew up to be a kind and funny person who was surrounded by the love and support of her parents. She pursued higher education and later proceeded to become a Virologist. According to her family, she wholeheartedly loved her profession. Over time, Cynthia welcomed motherhood with open arms when her daughter, Jessica Beane, was born. However, she faced her fair share of hardships as a single mother. Despite that, Cynthia worked diligently to provide for her daughter and give her the best. As years passed, she was overjoyed with the arrival of her granddaughter, Hayley Breeding.
Hayley considered Cynthia the “perfect grandma,” who gave the best bear hugs. She was a dog lover and always showed affection to her four-legged companion, Dusty. Sadly, by the time she was 71 years old, she began showing signs of Dementia and early Alzheimer’s. Cynthia lived at her 5135 Saulton Drive residence in Cross Lanes, West Virginia, with what Jessica explained was her “partner,” Samuel Lee May, AKA Sam. However, when he got another woman, Michelle, pregnant, she also lived with Cynthia. Despite the situation, everything went fine until August 18, 2022, when things completely changed. Being unable to reach her mother for days, Jessica called 911 to report her missing. She informed them that although she went by her house multiple times, she was not opening the door.
Cynthia Mudd’s Remains Were Discovered in the Backyard of Her House
Jessica informed the authorities that although she went by her house multiple times, she was not opening the door. She also added that one of Cynthia’s house guests claimed she had gone on a vacation, which she believed was not possible. As an official rushed to her residence for a welfare check, he couldn’t make contact with her despite multiple knocks and siren sounds. He reportedly noted a dog barking inside, and the curtains were all drawn. Despite searching the area, they were unable to locate Cynthia. On August 19, 2022, around 2:11 pm, one of her neighbors called the police to inform them that Dusty kept coming onto her yard for days to eat cat food, which was unusual. She also mentioned that when she took him back to Cynthia’s home, the dog kept returning to a location in the backyard and acted odd.
When officials arrived at the scene, Dusty led them to a spot with a pile of logs. However, when his behavior changed after going there, the logs and a tarp below were removed, and shockingly, it revealed a freezer. It was screwed shut, and when it was finally opened, they found a green carpet rolled and tied with white nylon ropes. Upon opening it, they found decomposing human remains inside it. The medical examiner identified the remains as those of Cynthia. The autopsy revealed that she had a fractured rib and a fractured sternum. Those were reported to be consistent with blunt force trauma, either from a serious fall or being struck by force. It was also determined that she had passed away roughly one month prior.
A Trail of Transactions Led the Officials to Cynthia Mudd’s Killer
After the missing persons report, detectives spoke with Cynthia’s neighbor, who revealed that she had seen Michelle entering the house three weeks prior through the window. Furthermore, she also informed them that Sam was living with another of his close friends, Arnold Ward Hiller, at the residence. However, neither Sam nor Arnold could be contacted since their numbers were out of service. Meanwhile, officials learnt from Jessica that she spoke with Michelle, who informed her that she last saw Cynthia one month prior. She admitted to entering through the window since she couldn’t reach Cynthia, Sam, or Arnold, which worried her. Upon entering, she found the pillows missing from Cynthia’s bed. When questioned, Michelle informed them that she wasn’t living there anymore and had broken up with Sam one week prior.
Investigators discovered that Sam and Michelle shared their location, but he had reportedly turned it off on August 17, 2022. Side-by-side, they noticed transactions through Cynthia’s card, which were reportedly done on several occasions in July 2022 and last on August 17. The surveillance footage at the first store captured Sam alone and, in the following times, with Arnold. In every instance, they left the stores to head towards Cynthia’s home, except on August 17. Their last transaction helped the police track them to a motel, but sadly, by August 22, 2022, they had checked out. Meanwhile, after executing a search warrant at the residence, they found a similar white nylon rope in the garage, which was used to tie the carpet. Detectives also noticed a hole in the wall, which was probably made by a blunt object.
Surprisingly, on August 23, 2022, officials received a call from the Charleston police department that Sam had jumped into the river the previous day and was in the hospital. He was brought to West Virginia, and when he was questioned, he admitted to killing Cynthia. He claimed that he and Arnold went to a bar and returned quite drunk. Per his confession, he punched her and allegedly blacked out until Arnold tried to wake him up to help her. He admitted that she was still alive but badly injured, and since he had assaulted her before, he and his friend got scared and didn’t call 911. She reportedly passed away a few days later, and Sam confessed that it was his idea to conceal the remains, while Arnold helped him. While Sam was arrested on August 23, 2022, Arnold was arrested in Beckley on September 2, 2022. Both were charged with concealment of a deceased human body, and the latter was also charged with unauthorized use of an access device.
Samuel is Serving His Time in Prison, While Arnold is Currently Out on Parole
After Sam and Arnold’s arrest, none of them were charged with Cynthia’s murder since it was still an ongoing investigation. On December 1, 2022, the former appeared in court and pleaded not guilty to the charges of concealment and fraud. However, on the same day, he was indicted by a grand jury on the charge of second-degree murder, concealment of a deceased human body, and seven counts of fraud and related activity with an access device for using Cynthia’s card after her death. His first trial date was initially set for February 27, 2023. On the other hand, in mid-September 2022, a judge found probable cause to send Arnold’s case to a grand jury, approving his initial concealment and fraud charges.
In January 2023, Arnold pleaded guilty to the concealment of a deceased human body, and his fraud charges were dropped as per the plea deal. He received a sentence of 1 to 5 years in prison. On June 5, 2023, Sam entered a guilty plea to the count of second-degree murder. As part of the agreement, all the other charges against him were dismissed. He was ultimately sentenced to the maximum of 40 years in prison for murder on August 16, 2023. Arnold was released on parole on March 2, 2025, and is currently living a quiet life. As of writing, Sam is incarcerated and is serving his sentence at Southwestern Regional Jail in Holden, West Virginia.
Read More: Elyse Pahler Murder: Where Are Royce Casey, Joseph Fiorella, and Jacob Delashmutt Now?
