An Altoona man, hired for excavating work in South Fork, was shot multiple times with a handgun and struck with a soil-tamping tool, according to an affidavit of probable cause.

Cambria County District Attorney Greg Neugebauer said that the crime scene was “very much a gruesome scene, and was very hard to see,” WJAC reported.

An affidavit said 22-year-old Austin Kline of South Fork had hired Richard Morgan, 55, for some excavation work at a residence along the 700 block of Lake Street in South Fork.

After the work was completed, Kline told police that he asked Morgan to “look at a few other jobs” at other properties in Blair and Cambria counties.

Kline allegedly told police that Morgan said one of the jobs was “larger than what he wanted to take on” and added that he would “need to think about the other job.”

Police said that Kline initially claimed that Morgan dropped him off at his residence in South Fork, between 5:30 and 6 p.m. Thursday, and planned to return the next day to assist with the originally planned excavation work, WJAC reported.

On Thursday night, the victim’s family reported him missing.

Police discovered that Morgan’s phone had been turned off sometime Thursday evening and had last pinged near a cell tower in the area of the 700 block of Munster Road.

After learning of the excavation job, a search was conducted at Kline’s South Fork residence.

A K9 unit discovered blood on the garage door, WJAC said.

While searching the garage area, police discovered Morgan’s body, along with a landscape tamper that was covered in hair and blood, investigators said.

Kline allegedly admitted to shooting Morgan multiple times with a .380-caliber handgun and then striking him with the landscaping tool “in a way that would outrage ordinary family sensibilities,” police said.

Kline also allegedly admitted to “dumping” the victim’s vehicle along Route 219, near the Route 53 exit, police said.

Kline faces charges of criminal homicide, aggravated assault, evidence tampering and abuse of a corpse, online court records show.

Denied bail, Kline is being held at the Cambria County Prison.