On September 30, 2012, Amber Nicole DeLoach was found in a burning vehicle. Shan Cheley had encountered Amber walking to her car in the early morning, and according to prosecutors, he raped and strangled the 18-year-old to death, then put her body in the trunk of her car and lit it on fire.

According to one of Shan's relatives, "Everytime something happens, they go after a black man. Just because he has a history doesn't mean anything. I don't know him to be mean, violent, or a bad person." But Amber's body was wrapped in a blanket belonging to Shan, his shoes were found at the scene of the fire, and he was caught on surveillance cameras buying gasoline and a lighter just before the young woman's burning car was first spotted.