A New York dairy farmer was charged with killing her missing husband after he was found dead in a pile of manure late Monday.

Charlene M. Mess, 48, was ordered held without bail after her husband of 30 years, Douglas W. Mess, was found buried in a 4-foot-deep manure and compost pile located in the back of their dairy farm in Attica, N.Y., The Buffalo News reported.

Douglas Mess, 52, was last seen Sunday night and was reported missing by his son, also named Douglas, the next day when he did not show up for work.

New York State Police originally thought the senior Mess suffered a medical emergency, but the missing person case took a grim turn when his body was found after a seven-hour search of the property, according to Time Warner Cable News. An autopsy is scheduled for next week. 

Authorities would not immediately say if the wife confessed to killing her husband. An unnamed police source told The Buffalo News the mruder occurred when "a fight got out of hand." 

"As you can imagine, it was an arduous process and throughout the night and ongoing right now, a processing of the scene," State Police Captain Steven Nigrelli told TWC News.