The lady mentioned the three had an “intimate” relationship collectively, revealing how their accomplice allegedly died — and why they stored his dying a secret till the physique was discovered, of their house, 18 months later.
A Colorado couple is going through severe prices after the invention of a physique of their apartment — a physique belonging to a person with whom they allegedly had a “three method relationship” and died 18 months prior.
Along with preserving his dying a secret, the pair are accused of amassing his Social Safety after he died. The 2 haven’t been accused of killing the sufferer, whose explanation for dying remains to be beneath investigation.
Married duo James David Agnew, 55, and Suzanne Ruth Agnew, 57, have each been charged with tampering with a deceased human physique and abuse of a corpse after the dying of James O’Neill, 62, per Regulation&Crime.
James has additionally been charged with theft by larceny over $2,000, unauthorized use of a monetary transaction gadget over $2,000 and two counts of introducing contraband right into a correctional facility, whereas Suzanne has been hit with prices of theft between $5,000 and $20,000, and unauthorized use of a monetary transaction gadget in an quantity between $5,000 and $20,000.
James O’Neill Reported Lacking
In response to an arrest affidavit, the investigation started again in June, when O’Neill’s brother requested a welfare verify, after his household hadn’t heard from him since 2021.
When authorities tried to get involved with O’Neill on the Agnews’ Lakewood house, a male who “recognized himself as James” — however did not say his final title — was instructed his household was making an attempt to contact him. The person allegedly mentioned “he knew they have been making an attempt to succeed in him … however he didn’t want to have any contact with them.”
However when O’Neill’s brother noticed photographs of the particular person authorities spoke with, he mentioned it wasn’t O’Neill. The particular person in query was later recognized as James Agnew, who brokers mentioned “gave the impression to be implying” he was the lacking man.
When authorities then returned to the scene, they are saying Agnew first denied O’Neill ever lived there, earlier than he “appeared to point that he lived there for just a few months after which moved out.” Suzanne, in the meantime, allegedly mentioned O’Neill hadn’t lived with them for “a pair years,” and moved out to dwell with “met some international girl on-line.” After they each mentioned they did not know the place he was, he was put into the system as a lacking particular person.
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Cash Actions
Because the investigation continued, O’Neill’s brother Robert mentioned that in November 2024 he spoke with Suzanne — who allegedly claimed James was subsequent to her however did not wish to communicate with him — about receiving an inheritance. The Agnews, nonetheless, have been fast to offer James’ Social Safety quantity and a checking account, however ceased communications with Robert when he mentioned James “needed to be bodily current to signal for this accretion.”
Utilizing the data they gave him, Robert then noticed his brother’s checking account had been used usually, not believing O’Neill was the one making the withdrawals.
Authorities then checked safety footage from a 7-11 towards a purchase order made there with a debit card in O’Neill’s title. The one who made the transactions, nonetheless, had an look “in step with James Agnew.” The person’s sneakers have been additionally in step with what Agnew wore when authorities first spoke with him exterior his house in June. He didn’t seem like O’Neill.
The cardboard was additionally allegedly used for purchases for Google, Xfinity, Progressive Insurance coverage and Sally Magnificence Provide, seemingly on-line.
As investigators stored amassing proof, they realized of a December 2023 name to police the place a person figuring out themselves as James O’Neill claimed “his roommate is making threats to him and he would not know if he’ll perform these threats.” He, nonetheless, did not need police to return to the house.
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Physique & Confession
Authorities obtained a search warrant in early July and confirmed as much as the Lakewood apartment, the place James Agnew was detained on an impressive warrant. After Suzanne realized that they had a search warrant for the residence, she allegedly got here clear.
“She mentioned she understood instantly and instructed me we’d discover James O’Neill’s physique within the residence, indicating he was deceased,” reads the affidavit. Authorities discovered O’Neill’s physique within the house, earlier than Suzanne agreed to talk with police on the station.
“Suzanne mentioned she has been in a 3 method relationship with James O’Neill, James Agnew and herself,” wrote police. “She mentioned they’ve lived collectively for a few years and have had an intimate relationship with the three of them concerned.”
She additionally allegedly recalled O’Neill making the decision to police in December 2023, claiming “she and Jim have been contemplating shifting out as James Agnew’s conduct was changing into extra erratic.” She additionally allegedly claimed, “for a truth,” that nothing occurred to O’Neill that evening.
Nonetheless, a couple of week or two later — someday between December 10 and 12, 2023 — she and her husband woke as much as discover O’Neill on the air mattress subsequent to their mattress together with his mouth “hanging open and his pores and skin coloration grayish/white coloration.” She mentioned she could not discover a pulse and “they might inform for positive that he was useless.”
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She allegedly went on to insist her husband “had accomplished nothing to Jim,” believing O’Neill “could have died from some form of medical concern as he was in very poor well being.” Per the docs, she mentioned that whereas her husband recommended they name the police, “she didn’t need him to try this as a result of she was not able to ‘hand over’ Jim,'” whereas additionally admitting she knew it was the mistaken resolution.
Suzanne additionally allegedly instructed police they determined to cowl up his physique with a deflated air mattress within the house after “the chihuahuas started ‘chewing’ on him.'” The docs notice there have been eight chihuahuas within the house.
When her husband was later interviewed, authorities famous he was much less forthcoming. Although police say he did not initially present a motive why they did not report the dying, the docs declare he later mentioned “he was conscious of the SSI earnings that went into Jim’s account and mentioned that was undoubtedly a consideration in deciding whether or not or to not report his dying.”
He additionally mentioned “there in all probability was drug use occurring” the evening O’Neill died … and allegedly “admitted he in all probability threatened Jim sooner or later however he did not keep in mind what the threats have been.” He additionally allegedly copped to utilizing the debit card, whereas Suzanne mentioned the Agnews “have been the one individuals who had entry” to O’Neill’s account after his dying. Per police, she mentioned she used it to pay her month-to-month payments.
If he died round mid-December 2023, police estimate the pair “used a complete of roughly $17,406 of O’Neill’s month-to-month social safety cash.
Suzanne has a court docket date scheduled for August 27, whereas James will seem earlier than the decide on September 2.
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