Corpse abuse: Man arrested for storing ex-girlfriend’s body in a freezer

RTR2Q7IL — Tashawna Green's daughter Taishaun, 6, reaches into the freezer for an ice pop at her home in Queens Village, New York August 21, 2011. Reuters/Jessica Rinaldi

A man who stored his ex-girlfriend's body in a freezer was charged with corpse abuse. Arturo Novoa and his other partner Katrina Layton were arrested in their home in Ohio, US.

Novoa's landlord Kenny Eshenbaugh had allowed him to store an icebox in his basement, with the explanation that the electricity had been cut off. However, Eshenbaugh’s wife was quick to develop curiosity about what was inside the padlocked icebox.

By the fifth day, the Eshenbaughs forced the freezer open. They found dismembered remains of a human body. Novoa and Layton were arrested less than 24 hours after the discovery.

Novoa’s former girlfriend, Shannon Graves, went missing earlier this year in inexplicable circumstances. Through tests, the authorities learned that the mutilated body belongs to Graves.

Based on police documents tendered to court, Layton moved to Novoa’s apartment shortly after the disappearance of Graves. Although she did not pretend to be Graves, Novoa’s new girlfriend used the victim’s credit cards and mobile phone. She was also driving her car and even taking on her pet. Prosecutor Dana Lantz told the New York Daily News that Layton moved in and “started living her life.”

Layton said she bought the freezer from a Walmart store in July and supplied the extension cord to plug it in at his boyfriend’s building. So far, no murder charges have been filed, as a cause of death is yet to be determined. Novoa and Layton have yet to appoint a legal team.

Search ends in tragedy

Graves was last seen by her family on Christmas. The last time she was seen by friends was in February. A Facebook page was set up in search for the woman.

“(She) was at a friend’s house party, arguing with a male friend,” a post dated July 11 said. It added that Graves called an ex-boyfriend, who didn’t answer.

Graves’s sister Debbie told WKBN 27 First News that the victim dated Novoa and lived with him in an apartment in Youngtown, Ohio. Her sister added it was not unusual for Graves to leave for a while without getting in touch with her family.

Many of her friends and acquaintances took to social media to express sorrow over the suspected murder. Sebastian Rucci said it was sad to learn the news. Tai Perseverance Mitchell said she did not deserve to die in such a way.

Scaramucci dead: Harvard Law School apologises for alumni directory error