Roommate lives with man’s body in house for days without reporting it, Alabama cops say
A man is in custody after being accused of living with his roommate’s dead body for days without reporting the death, Alabama deputies said.
Deputies responded to a Sipsey home on June 9 after someone reported their deceased family member was in the house, according to a Walker County Sheriff’s Office June 13 news release.
Deputies learned that a 61-year-old man was also living in the home, and the deceased person had been dead “for days,” according to the release.
“Treating a human corpse in a way that would outrage ordinary family sensibilities is a (felony),” deputies said.
Justin Hagler told AL.com that the deceased individual was his father, whom he last saw on June 7. He told the outlet that the 61-year-old was his dad’s roommate, but when asked, the man wouldn’t tell Hagler where his dad was once he stopped hearing from him.
“I’m furious,” Hagler told the outlet. He said he had gone to the house multiple times looking for his father, and his body was eventually found by Hagler’s son.
The 61-year-old man was charged with abuse of a corpse and taken into custody, according to the sheriff’s office.
The Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences will complete an autopsy of the deceased individual to determine the cause of death, deputies said.
Sipsey is about 35 miles northwest of Birmingham.
This story was originally published June 14, 2023 at 10:44 AM with the headline "Roommate lives with man’s body in house for days without reporting it, Alabama cops say."
