A Lakewood man accused of living with the corpse of one of his lovers for almost two years in order to spend the man’s social security money was sentenced to five years in prison this week.
James Agnew, 56, pleaded guilty to tampering with a deceased human body and identity theft, both felonies, in Jefferson County District Court, according to court records.
Prosecutors dismissed five felony charges of abuse of a corpse, theft, attempted theft, identity theft and unauthorized use of a financial device as part of the plea deal.
Agnew and his wife, Suzanne Agnew, were arrested in July after the brother of 64-year-old James Frances O’Neill called for a welfare check for their apartment in the 3400 block of South Ammon Street.
Investigators found O’Neill’s body had been under a deflated air mattress in the apartment since December 2023 and the Agnews had kept it there and not reported the death in part to spend O’Neill’s money. Police said the couple spent more than $17,000 on O’Neill’s debit card and someone forged his signature on a car title after his death.
A spokesperson with the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office declined to comment on the sentencing because Suzanne Agnew’s case is ongoing. The 58-year-old pleaded not guilty in the case on Monday and is set to appear in court on May 26.
