Couple lived with lover’s corpse for 18 months, spent his money as dogs chewed his body: affidavit 

A shocking and disturbing case has emerged in Lakewood, Colorado, where a couple lived alongside the decaying corpse of their three-way lover for over a year. James Agnew, 55, and Suzanne Agnew, 57, allegedly kept the remains of James O’Neill, 64, hidden under an air mattress in their condo after he passed away in December 2023. The bizarre story came to light during a welfare check on July 3, when O’Neill’s brother raised concerns about his whereabouts.

Authorities were led to the couple’s home, where they made the grisly discovery of O’Neill’s decomposed body. Suzanne confessed to police that she chose not to report his death or remove his body because she couldn’t bear to part with him. Shockingly, she also revealed that their chihuahuas had started to chew on O’Neill’s body, prompting them to conceal it under the mattress.

Adding to the macabre nature of the case, the Agnews were found to have been using O’Neill’s bank account and Social Security payments following his death. During the welfare check, James pretended to be O’Neill and claimed he wanted no contact with his family. The couple was subsequently arrested on charges of theft and tampering with a corpse, though they have not been implicated in O’Neill’s death.

Suzanne informed authorities that she believed O’Neill had died from a medical issue due to his poor health. O’Neill, who had been estranged from his family, was actually needed to be informed about an inheritance he had received. The case has left the community stunned and authorities puzzled about the circumstances surrounding O’Neill’s death.

The bizarre and tragic saga of the Agnews and O’Neill serves as a chilling reminder of the depths to which human behavior can descend. The investigation continues as authorities work to unravel the mysteries surrounding this disturbing case.