A chilling case has emerged in Colorado, where a man and his wife have been sentenced for their macabre actions involving the body of a deceased man, which they allegedly kept in their home for over 18 months to continue drawing his Social Security benefits.
James Agnew Sentenced for Tampering with Deceased Body
James David Agnew, 56, was sentenced last week to five years in state prison after pleading guilty to tampering with a deceased body and identity theft. Agnew’s actions, which involved keeping the body of 62-year-old James O’Neill at home, were discovered after an investigation into the theft of O’Neill’s Social Security income.
The crime occurred in Lakewood, Colorado, where the couple lived, and the deceased man’s body was reportedly kept in their apartment from December 2023 to June 2025. Agnew’s sentence will run concurrently for both charges, and he is credited with 276 days spent in pretrial detention, meaning he will likely spend just over four years in state custody.
How the Body Was Discovered
The investigation began when O’Neill’s brother reported that he had not seen or heard from his brother since 2021. When officers performed a welfare check on the Agnew residence in June 2025, they encountered a man who identified himself as “James,” but he did not wish to speak with O’Neill’s family. Police initially believed this man might be O’Neill himself, based on his response to the brother’s questions.
Later investigation revealed that the man was James Agnew. Surveillance footage from a 7-Eleven showed Agnew using O’Neill’s debit card multiple times, which raised suspicion. In July 2025, law enforcement arrested James Agnew for an outstanding warrant, and during the subsequent investigation, his wife, Suzanne Ruth Agnew, admitted to the couple hiding O’Neill’s body in their home.
The Agnews’ Actions and Statements
According to the affidavit, Suzanne Agnew admitted that after O’Neill died in December 2023, she and her husband decided to conceal his death to continue collecting his Social Security income. Suzanne allegedly said that after a week, the couple covered O’Neill’s body with a deflated air mattress to prevent their pet chihuahuas from chewing on it.
Suzanne further confessed to law enforcement that it was wrong not to report O’Neill’s death, acknowledging the disturbing nature of their actions. The couple used approximately $17,406 from O’Neill’s Social Security over 18 months, according to the investigation.
Suzanne Agnew’s Plea and Court Hearing
While James Agnew has pleaded guilty and received his sentence, his wife, Suzanne Agnew, has pleaded not guilty to the charges. She is facing charges of tampering with a deceased body, abuse of a corpse, and theft, and is slated for a pretrial conference on May 26, 2026.
