A man in Louisville, Kentucky has been arrested after police say he wrapped his dead mother’s body in a blanket and left it on his back porch for almost two years.
David Wood, 57, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with abuse of a corpse. The Louisville Metro Police Department says his 89-year-old mother died in May 2020, but her remains were not discovered until December 2021.
According to WLKY, police said Mr Wood “treated the corpse in ways that would outrage ordinary family sensibilities.”
The LMPD has not revealed further details about the case. Police say they’re working with the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office to investigate the woman’s cause of death.
At a court appearance on Wednesday, Mr Wood told a Jefferson County District Court judge that he wished to represent himself. The judge advised against this.
“Sir, you understand you have the right to remain silent?” the judge asked, according to WAVE. “Anything you say can be used against you in a court of law.”
After Mr Wood affirmed that he understood this, the judge warned him again, “I would suggest you don’t tell me anything about the nature of this.”
Mr Wood would not be deterred.
“All I want to say is I talked to the detective,” the defendant said. “These charges sound a lot worse than they are, and I do have a few medical issues. I’m not a flight risk, I’m not a violent person, as you can see from my record. I have no reason to – I want to resolve this, believe me, more than anything.”
The judge, whom WAVE did not name, was unconvinced.
“I will tell you I am uncomfortable releasing you on this charge,” the judge told him.
The court denied Mr Wood’s request for release from jail. He is currently being held at the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections, with his bond set at $120,000.
