Accident – Death – Obituary News :
In a bizarre turn of events, two Ohio women have been accused of driving the body of an 80-year-old man to a bank to withdraw money from his account before dropping his body off at a hospital. The incident occurred in Ashtabula, Ohio, and has left the community in shock.
Details of the Incident
The two women, identified as Karen Casbohm, 63, and Loreen Bea Feralo, 55, were charged with gross abuse of a corpse and theft from a person in a protected class, according to Ashtabula Municipal Court records. The women allegedly dropped off the body at the Ashtabula County Medical Center emergency room without identifying themselves or the deceased individual.
It was only after a few hours that one of the women contacted the hospital with information on the deceased, who was later identified as 80-year-old Douglas Layman of Ashtabula. Police responded to Layman’s residence, where they made contact with Casbohm and Feralo.
Disturbing Allegations
According to the police, Casbohm and Feralo claimed that they had found Layman deceased at the home where all three resided. Allegedly, with the help of a third unnamed person, they placed Layman in the front seat of his car and drove to a bank to withdraw money from his account.
Ashtabula Police Chief Robert Stell revealed that Layman’s body was positioned in such a way that he would be visible to bank staff in order to make the withdrawal. Stell mentioned that the bank had allowed this previously as long as the women were accompanied by him.
Motive Behind the Actions
Lieutenant Mike Palinkas told WEWS-TV that one of the women had been in a live-in relationship with Layman for several years, while the other had been staying at the residence for a few months. The women claimed that it was normal for them to take money from Layman’s account, but Palinkas stated that he didn’t have a full explanation for their actions on that particular day.
“Allegedly, they wanted to pay some bills, but outside of that, there wasn’t a specific motivation provided,” Palinkas said.
Ongoing Investigation
Police continue to investigate the incident, and other charges are possible. The coroner’s office stated that an autopsy to determine the cause of Layman’s death could take up to eight months. The community is left reeling from the shocking and disturbing turn of events in Ashtabula, Ohio.
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