Authorities in Jefferson County, Colorado, say a couple lived with the body of their deceased partner for 18 months while they spent all his Social Security benefits.
Police uncovered the disturbing situation when they found the decomposed body of James O’Neill hidden under an air mattress inside a Lakewood condo.
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| James O’Neill |
The victims death came to light after his brother became worried that he couldn’t reach him.
According to police reports, O’Neill had been estranged from his family since 2019, but his brother was trying to contact him about some money he inherited.
Lakewood police began searching for O’Neill and their investigation led them to a condo where 55-year-old James Agnew and 57-year-old Suzanne Agnew lived.
Police say the couple had been in an intimate three-way relationship with O’Neill for years, and he was last seen at their home.
When officers arrived, James Agnew pretended to be James O’Neill and told them he didn’t want any contact with his family.
However, when police later showed O’Neill’s brother the bodycam footage of the interview, he immediately said that wasn’t his sibling.
This prompted investigators to return to the house for more questioning, as reported by 9NEWS
Suzanne Agnew, initially told officers that O’Neill had moved out years ago to live with a foreign woman he met online.
O’Neill’s brother later contacted Suzanne directly and informed her about the inheritance.
She gave him O’Neill’s account details and claimed that O’Neill was sitting beside her but didn’t want to speak.
However, when the brother explained that O’Neill would need to appear in person at the bank to sign some documents, Suzanne suddenly stopped communicating with him.
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| James Agnew |
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| Suzanne Agnew |
Before they even entered, Suzanne Agnew allegedly said, “You’ll find James O’Neill’s body in the residence.”
Inside, they discovered O’Neill’s decomposed remains under a deflated air mattress.
Suzanne allegedly told police she didn’t report his death because she “wasn’t ready to give him up.”
Even more disturbing, she claimed that her Chihuahuas had begun chewing on O’Neill’s body, and this made them to hide him under the mattress.
According to police reports, the couple kept using O’Neill’s bank account after his death, spending $17,406 in Social Security payments and other funds.
Surveillance video also captured James Agnew using O’Neill’s debit card to make purchases.
The Agnews claimed that O’Neill died in his sleep in December 2023, possibly after using drugs the night before.
However, the Jefferson County Coroner is still working to determine his exact cause of death.
The couple now face four felony charges:
- Tampering with a deceased human body
- Theft
- Unauthorized use of a financial transaction device
- Abuse of a corpse
Suzanne Agnew is set to appear in court on August 27, 2025, while James Agnew’s hearing is scheduled for September 2, 2025.
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