夫妇藏匿同住男子遗体16个月并盗用社保款:妻子判刑5年,丈夫此前同判

Lakewood 位于科罗拉多州 Jefferson County。科罗拉多州第一司法区检察官办公室11月2日宣布,与丈夫 James Agnew 同住一屋的 Suzanne Agnew 当日被判刑5年:这对夫妇把同住男子 James O'Neill 的遗体藏匿了约16个月,期间冒充他与外界联系,并盗用他的社保付款。
检方说,Agnew 夫妇向检察官供述,O'Neill 约在2023年12月3日在 Lakewood 的 South Ammons Street 住所去世,该住所由三人同住。夫妇二人把遗体藏在一张用胶带封裹的塑料床垫里,没有报告他的死亡,直到2025年7月遗体才被发现。
藏匿期间,夫妇二人有时冒充 O'Neill 打电话或发邮件,让别人以为他还活着;他们还动用了存入 O'Neill 账户的社保付款,并用他的借记卡或卡号为自己购物。
调查始于2025年6月:O'Neill 的兄弟请 Lakewood 警方上门做福利检查,一名自称「James」的男子对警察说不想与 O'Neill 家人联系;其兄弟看过执法记录仪画面后确认此人不是 O'Neill。夫妇二人随后声称 O'Neill 已搬走、去向不明。警方调查 O'Neill 账户的资金往来后搜查住所,在一张漏气的充气床垫下找到了他的遗体。
James Agnew 现年58岁,今年3月认罪、4月被判刑;Suzanne Agnew 现年57岁,今年6月认罪。两人均就篡改遗体与身份盗窃两项罪名认罪,各被判5年监禁,另须服3年强制假释;认罪协议下其余第二至第六项指控被撤销。Suzanne Agnew 自被捕后一直羁押,已获465天审前羁押抵刑。
高级副检察官 Trevor Moritzky 在量刑听证会上说,这不是恐慌或糊涂,而是一段经过算计、长达16个月的藏匿与财务盗用过程,剥夺了死者的尊严与家属了结心事的机会。地区法院法官 Meegan Miloud 在宣判前称其罪行「在道德上应受谴责」。O'Neill 的兄弟在法庭陈述中说:「她不只是藏起了他的遗体,她偷走了我们哀悼他的机会。」Suzanne Agnew 在庭上表示,对自己的行为造成的伤害、破坏与不确定深感后悔。(来源:科罗拉多州第一司法区检察官办公室)
Couple Hid Roommate's Body for 16 Months and Spent His Social Security Payments: Wife Sentenced to 5 Years, Husband Sentenced Earlier
LAKEWOOD, Colo. — Lakewood is in Jefferson County, Colorado. The Colorado First Judicial District Attorney's Office announced on November 2 that Suzanne Agnew was sentenced to five years in prison that day, concluding the related cases against her and her husband James Agnew: the couple concealed the body of James O'Neill, who lived with them, for about 16 months, impersonated him to others, and spent his Social Security payments.
The Agnews told prosecutors that O'Neill died around December 3, 2023, at the South Ammons Street home in Lakewood that he shared with James and Suzanne Agnew. The defendants concealed O'Neill's body in a plastic mattress secured with tape and failed to report his death, preventing his discovery until July 2025.
At times, the defendants impersonated O'Neill in phone or email communications to make others believe he remained alive. They also accessed Social Security payments deposited into his account and used his debit card or card number to make purchases for their own benefit.
The investigation began after O'Neill's brother requested that Lakewood Police conduct a welfare check in June 2025. At the residence, an officer spoke with a man identifying himself as 'James' who said he wanted no contact with the O'Neill family. After viewing body-camera footage, O'Neill's brother confirmed the man was not O'Neill. The Agnews later claimed O'Neill had moved away. After investigating financial transactions involving O'Neill's account, police searched the residence and found his remains beneath a deflated air mattress.
James Agnew, 58, pleaded guilty in March and was sentenced in April; Suzanne Agnew, 57, pleaded guilty in June and was sentenced on November 2. Both pleaded guilty to tampering with a deceased human body and identity theft and each received a five-year prison sentence, to be followed by three years of mandatory parole; counts two through six were dismissed under the plea agreements. Suzanne Agnew has remained in custody since her arrest and received 465 days of presentence confinement credit.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Trevor Moritzky told the court the conduct was a calculated, 16-month course of concealment and financial exploitation, not panic or confusion. District Court Judge Meegan Miloud called the crimes 'morally reprehensible' before sentencing. O'Neill's brother told the court: 'She did not just hide his body. She stole our chance to grieve him.' Suzanne Agnew said she deeply regretted the hurt, damage and uncertainty her actions had caused. (Source: Colorado First Judicial District Attorney's Office)
来源:科罗拉多州第一司法区检察官办公室
发布:GSM·美国(发布链接)
图片来源:图:位于 Golden 的 Jefferson County 法院大楼(资料图)。Yassie 摄,CC BY-SA 4.0,经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The Jefferson County Courthouse in Golden (file photo). By Yassie, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
GSM Global · 本篇英文版 English edition of this story

