The brutal nature of the crime and the two suspects fleeing to Florida were two factors District Judge Bob Armstrong cited Thursday in issuing a $3 million bond to Natasha Davenport and $1 million bond to Joseph Howell.

Natasha, 29, and Howell, 39, were taken into custody July 23 in connection with the murder of Natasha’s father, 71-year-old Jimmy Davenport and appeared before Armstrong Thursday afternoon for a bond hearing.

Armstrong said setting the recommended bond by prosecution after details of the crime became available was “a no brainer.”

“I do believe the evidence produced to me justifies going outside the bond scale,” Armstrong said. “The way this crime was covered up by the individuals proves you are both a flight risk. The nature of this crime is brutal. What you did was awful and outrageous.”

After being taken into custody, Natasha gave a statement to the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department outlining the details of the crime.

Though she did not recall the exact date, Natasha said the alleged murder occurred sometime before Valentine’s Day.

Natasha, who was Davenport’s primary caregiver, told investigators after Howell headed to work, her father, who suffered from stage two dementia, started an argument while she was watching a movie. She said she walked back to his bedroom and found him packing his bags. As he attempted to pack a pillow, a hatchet fell out. When she recovered the hatchet, she said Davenport pulled out a closed pocketknife and told her to give him the hatchet back.

As the argument continued, Natasha said she hit Davenport in the head with the hatchet. Davenport, she said, fell forward toward her. She said she then pushed him back onto the bed, straddled him, and began stabbing him with the pocketknife.

Investigators said Howell’s statement said Natasha actually used one of his knives.

Natasha told investigators once Davenport was dead, she covered most of his body with a trash bag, rolled him in a blanket and went back to her movie.

Natasha and Howell issued differing statements on how long they waited to dispose of the body. Howell said they waited one day, while Natasha said it was three or four days.

Howell borrowed a truck from a friend, according to the statement, and the two loaded up the body. Again, both parties provided differing testimonies on how the body was disposed of.

Natasha said they threw the body off a cliff, while Howell said they threw it into a ravine.

According to Dallas County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. John Hatfield, Natasha provided three different stories to friends and family members asking about his welfare.

Initially, she said Davenport was in a retirement home in Montgomery.

“When they checked in on the home, they found out it had been closed for two years,” Hatfield said. “Then, she said he was in the VA hospital, but he had never been in the service.”

The final story said Davenport left the trailer with an elderly woman.

Natasha has been charged with murder and abuse of the corpse, while Howell has been charged with abuse of a corpse and hindering prosecution.

The events leading to the arrest began when family members reported — after months of not seeing nor hearing from him – Jimmy Davenport missing on July 16.

During the investigation, authorities discovered Natasha and Howell had “fled the state.”

On July 23, the couple was taken into custody by the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department, along with the Bay County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Department, in a small apartment in Panama City Beach.