BRADENTON, Fla. (WHDH) — A woman is facing criminal charges after she allegedly hid the body of her dead roommate in a closet for weeks before stuffing it in a trash can so she could continue to collect his Social Security benefits, authorities said.
Michelle Haney, 48, of Bradenton, Florida, was arrested last week on a charge of abuse of a dead body, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
Officers responding to a report of a suspicious discovery on Windmill Manor Lane found the decomposed body of 40-year-old Jon Christopher Leonard inside a 55-gallon trash can that Haney had left with a neighbor, the sheriff’s office said.
Haney, who was living with Leonard, told investigators that she found him dead back in July. Instead of reporting the death, she allegedly stored his body in a closet for three weeks before moving it into the trash can.
Haney reportedly told her neighbor that she was unaware of what was inside the can but that she would be back to pick it up at a later date.
Investigators noted that Haney admitted to concealing Leonard’s body so she could collect his Social Security benefits after he died.
Additional charges are expected to be filed against Haney.
Leonard’s cause of death remains under investigation.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)