Alabama – An Alabama woman, 54-year-old VaIerie, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with one count of feIony abuse of a co rpse and one count of tampering with physicaI evidence after police found a deceased man in her Alabama apartment. Authorities carried out a welfare check at apartments last week at approximately 10:50 a.m. following a concerned neighbor’s call. Officers entered the unit and located the body of an adult male who appeared to have been deceased for an extended period, possibly up to two weeks. Prosecutors say the man may have died from natural causes or a drug overdose, but foul play is not currently suspected.
The 54-year-old woman was identified as the resident of the apartment. Police say she knew the man had died in her bedroom but failed to notify Alabama authorities. She allegedly allowed the body to remain undisturbed for days. According to court documents reviewed by law enforcement, she deliberately delayed contacting the police because she feared she would get in trouble. Officers say she removed the man’s wallet and cell phone from the scene and disposed of them in a dumpster, allegedly attempting to hinder identification of the deceased.
The investigation began when first responders entered the defendant’s apartment during the welfare check. They noted significant decomposition and asked the woman why she had not reported the death. She explained she thought the man died of a possibIe overdose and said she did not report it because she feared IegaI consequences. Investigators have not found evidence of foul play at this time, and an autopsy has been scheduled to determine the official cause of death. Identification efforts continue. The deceased has not yet been publicly named.
In court records, authorities allege the woman knowingly allowed the body to remain in her home, which Alabama law defines as abuse of a corpse. She also faces a misdemeanor count of tampering with physical evidence for allegedly discarding the victim’s belongings to delay identification. Prosecutors noted that the body had been left in the apartment bedroom for nearly two weeks without notification to authorities.
Police officers worked in coordination with the District Attorney’s Office and the Sheriff’s Office during the investigation. Though authorities do not suspect foul play, they are gathering forensic and toxicology evidence. The autopsy’s findings will be crucial in determining the manner and cause of death, and the investigation remains open until completed.
She told investigators the deceased may have died from an overdose and admitted she did not want law enforcement to find out because she was afraid of getting in trouble. Authorities said she was aware the person had died in her apartment and had been dead for several days. She failed to report the death and allowed the body to remain in the apartment and decompose over time.
This incident marks the second death found in the same apartment in the past six months. About six months earlier, Bonner’s husband died in the same unit from an overdose, which has led investigators to consider whether she may face additional charges related to both deaths in her home.