Married couple 'kept lover's corpse at home for a year' as 'dogs chewed on body'

Daily Mirror

2 days ago

James Agnew, 55, and Suzanne Agnew, 57, have been charged after allegedly keeping their lover dead in their home for 18 months. The couple pocketed the man's cash, according to police
A couple has been charged after allegedly keeping the body of their "intimate" partner in their home for 18 months to pocket his benefits, according to police.
James Agnew, 55, and Suzanne Agnew, 57, are accused of stealing more than £13,000 of Jim O'Neil's benefits and using his debit card on numerous occasions since his death in December 2023.
The suspects have been charged with one count each of tampering with a deceased human body, and abuse of a corpse, according to an arrest affidavit from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. They also face several money-related charges for the alleged theft and usage of the man's financial accounts. It comes as a pregnant woman was allegedly murdered alongside her boyfriend during a heinous rampage.
Police said they were confronted with a man at the couple's home who identified himself simply as "James", later confirmed to be James Agnew. He told the officers that he didn't want to see or speak with them despite acknowledging O'Neill's brother's worries about his wellbeing, according to the affidavit.
"Agents later were able to identify this male as James Agnew but based on the conversation he appeared to be implying that he was James O'Neill," the affidavit said. Officers returned to the Agnew residence but were denied entry, according to the affidavit.
James and Suzanne Agnew are alleged to have given conflicting information about whether the missing O'Neill had ever lived with them, but eventually claimed that he had briefly stayed there before leaving with "some foreign woman online" several years ago.
The police then added O'Neill to a missing persons list. Days later, according to the affidavit, O'Neill's brother got in touch with the Agnews about an alleged inheritance payment that needed to be deposited into his bank account. The couple claimed that O'Neill had actually returned home, but was refusing to speak to his brother.
Despite this, the Agnews gave O'Neill's brother his banking details and Social Security number. However, when they found out that O'Neill would need to be present for the deposit, they "immediately stopped talking to him," the affidavit said.
Becoming suspicious, O'Neill's brother checked his brother's bank statements. He discovered "regular" transactions, including monthly Social Security deposits of £867 and an overdraft of around £150.
He also spotted "numerous ATM withdrawals," according to the police.
O'Neill's brother took the evidence he had collected to the authorities, who looked at CCTV footage from a 7-Eleven store where O'Neill's debit card had been used multiple times. The video appeared to show James Agnew using the card to make purchases, the affidavit stated.
James Agnew was "cooperatively" arrested in early July on an outstanding warrant, with Suzanne Agnew being called in shortly after. The police informed Suzanne that they wished to have a chat and that they had a search warrant, according to the affidavit.
"She said she understood and immediately told me we would find James O'Neill's body in the residence, indicating he was deceased," a copper penned in the affidavit.
"I let other detectives know and then came back out to Suzanne to provide her with a Miranda Advisement. Suzanne indicated she understood the advisement and agreed to continue speaking with me at the station. Detectives searching the residence did find the body of a deceased male, presumed to be James O'Neill."
During a police interview, Suzanne Agnew confessed that she, her husband and O'Neill had been involved in a "three way relationship" for several years.
Investigators concluded that O'Neill passed away in December 2023, likely due to a medical condition or drug use. James and Suzanne Agnew were not suspected of causing O'Neill's death, the affidavit stated.
"I asked Suzanne about when they decided to cover up his body and she said after about a week the chihuahuas began 'chewing' on him so she covered him with a deflated air mattress to try to keep them away," the affidavit read.
She told officers that she had initially decided to keep O'Neill's body at the property, but admitted what she had done "was wrong," according to the affidavit.
"James had less to say about [O'Neill's] passing but provided a similar account," the affidavit said.
"He didn't remember exactly when Jim died but said he recalled it and could tell he was deceased. He didn't initially provide reasoning as to why the police were not contacted but later told me he was aware of the SSI income that went into Jim's account and said that was definitely a consideration in deciding whether or not to report his death."
Suzanne Agnew is scheduled for a court appearance on August 27, while James Agnew is due in court on September 2.