Deputies arrested a 61-year-old Alabama man after failing to report a dead relative that he’s been living with “for days” in his home, investigators said.
Friday, June 9, at a home on 4th Avenue West in Sipsey, officers with the Walker County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a family member found dead inside the home. At the scene, investigators found out that Leandrew Smith, 61, lived with what authorities believed, was a man that had been dead for days without reporting the death to the police, according to a Facebook post by the County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday.
Justin Hagler told AL.com that the victim was his father whom he had not heard from since June 7, Tuesday. Since his father was roommates with Smith, Hagler reportedly contacted Smith and asked about his father’s whereabouts. Hagler said, “He didn’t tell me my dad was in the house.”
READ ALSO: New Jersey Lawyer Dies While Waiting For His Sentencing For Being Convicted Of Murdering Girlfriend
Authorities say Leandrew Smith Jr. was charged with abuse of corpse and was taken to custody, where he remained on a $10,000 cash-only bond, according to CNN News.
The crime remains under investigation since the cause and manner of death have not yet been determined by the authorities. It was also said that the District Attorney’s Office ordered the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences to perform an autopsy, according to AL.com.