Smyrna Woman Charged After Allegedly Hiding Her Boyfriend's Dead - WMDT 47 News - Delmarva's Choice

Smyrna Woman Charged After Allegedly Hiding Her Boyfriend's Dead Body

SMYRNA, Del. - A Smryna woman was arrested after apparently putting her boyfriend in a box, after he died, and hiding it in her home. Delaware State Police say they got a tip about a dead body at a home on Spruce Court in Holly Hill Estates in Smyrna.

Once they arrived at the home, they spoke with 56-year-old Ariane Clark, who lives at the home with her 60-year-old boyfriend. According to Police, Clark told them her boyfriend was dead and that he was in a box in the back bedroom. Police took Clark into custody, and during interviews, determined that the 60-year-old had died on January 6th, after Clark came home from running errands.

Police say, Clark told them that she was getting her boyfriend's paperwork together, before calling authorities, but she noticed that his passport expired and reportedly panicked. Both are from Germany, and Clark reportedly was worried that she would get in trouble for supporting an illegal alien. Police say that Clark then placed the victim into a large garbage bag, then put him into a wooden footlocker, and sealed it with duct tape. Clark was later released, while officials continued their investigation.

At the Spruce Court home, they reportedly found the footlocker, with a blanket over it. The footlocker was turned over to the medical examiners office in Georgetown, where the cause death was later ruled undetermined. Investigators say they're still waiting on toxicology to come back. The name of the man will be released after positive identification, and next of kin notification.

Clark was charged with abusing a corpse, and released on bond. The DSP Homicide Unit investigation into this incident is still on-going.