Chandra's remains were covered by about 12 inches of brush and leaves. The leaves fell in November (some of the remains were not disturbed by the turtle hunter, and the leaves date the placement of the body at least back to that time. They were also covered with some soil, but this might be due to settling and weathering - they might not have been buried "in a shallow grave" as was earlier reported. On the other hand, the killer might have made some efforts to hide his kill.
Old turtle (tortoise)shells do get covered with soil - I used to hunt for them myself when I was a kid. They would be somewhat embedded in the dirt/humus in the woods.
What time of day were the other two females assaulted?Just thinking: if this guy was hiding in the woods around that time waiting for his victims, could he have witnessed Chandra's murder, assuming he didn't do it? Any deposit on his bank account?