In a shocking turn of events, Iowa troopers stumbled upon a disturbing scene when they stopped to help a stranded car on the highway and discovered a dead body in the passenger seat. The driver, Jihad Abdul Malik Gasaway, 23, has been charged with murder and abuse of a corpse, despite his claims that the victim had been alive just moments before the police arrived.

The incident occurred in Malcolm, Iowa, just after 8 a.m. when troopers arrived to assist Gasaway, who was trying to restart his stalled Silver 2010 Chevrolet Malibu. Gasaway requested a jump and admitted to officers that he had a 9 mm gun in his possession. However, the troopers quickly noticed something amiss when they spotted a second man lying slumped in the passenger seat, covered with various items of clothing.

The unresponsive man was later identified as 26-year-old Kemp Xavier Sherrod Harriel and appeared to have suffered gunshot wounds. A 9 mm shell casing was found on the front floorboard, and two expended bullets were discovered in the front passenger door. Gasaway was immediately taken into custody and placed inside a patrol car, where he allegedly pleaded, "Please be OK."

During interrogation, Gasaway explained that he and Harriel had left Cedar Rapids for Des Moines early that morning. He claimed to have covered up his friend because he thought he was cold and wanted to keep him warm. Gasaway maintained that he had no knowledge of Harriel's death until he saw the police response.

Further investigation revealed that Gasaway had driven the Malibu into a ditch along the highway earlier that morning while Harriel was still alive. When asked what happened to Harriel, Gasaway simply stated, "We got into it." The state Medical Examiner's Office determined that Harriel had been fatally shot twice in the chest, leading to the upgrade in charges against Gasaway to first-degree murder.

Gasaway is currently being held on a $50,000 bond at the Poweshiek County Jail. The Iowa Department of Public Safety has not yet confirmed if the increased charge affected his bail. The incident has left authorities and the community shocked and questioning the motive behind the gruesome crime. Investigations are ongoing as authorities attempt to piece together the events leading up to Harriel's death and the circumstances surrounding Gasaway's actions.