A Florida contractor has been charged in the murder of his 65-year-old client after she asked for a refund for an unfinished job.

On Friday morning, 45-year-old Corey Binderim was charged with murder and tampering with evidence in the death of Susan Mauldin, 65, investigators announced during a joint news conference held by the State Attorney’s Office, Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Binderim was named a person of interest in Mauldin’s disappearance after she was reported missing from her home in October. Neighbors told investigators Mauldin had hired Binderim to do work on her Harbor Island home but wanted her deposit back after he didn’t finish the work. She said she felt intimidated by him, they said.

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In January, the FBI’s Jacksonville Evidence Response Team began to search a landfill in Folkston, Ga. One week and 7,170 tons of debris later, a skull was recovered, along with several other remains.

Dental records identified the remains as Mauldin’s.

“It was heartbreaking for all of us,” FBI’s Special Agent in Charge Rachel Rojas said. “We’ve come to know a lot about Mrs. Mauldin through this investigation and we know that she was cherished by many people in the community.”

Clay County Sheriff Darryl Daniels echoed Rojas’ sentiments.

“This lady didn’t have to die. As you follow this case and information is revealed to what happened, it is deeply saddening, and I am personally affected by that,” Daniels said.

Mauldin’s friends say they miss her.

“This is unbelievable,” Joy Strickland told News4. “I am so mad over it. I am thinking: How could this happen?”

While Mauldin’s autopsy is pending, Binderim is scheduled to appear before a judge on Thursday for an unrelated charge. Attorney information was not available Tuesday.

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