Kentucky man arrested months after mom’s remains found on her back porch

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (TCD) -- A 57-year-old man was taken into custody this week in connection with the death of his mother, whose remains were found on her back porch last year.

WAVE-TV reports Louisville Metropolitan Police Department spokeswoman Alicia Smiley said David Wood was arrested Feb. 1 on an abuse of a corpse charge. On Dec. 1, 2021, Louisville Police went to a home on the 1100 block of Cristland Road in the Auburndale neighborhood after receiving a report about possible human remains, according to WAVE. The department’s Homicide Unit said at the time they were working with the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office to specify the victim’s cause of death.

The victim was later identified as David Wood’s mother, Trudia Wood, WHAS-TV reports. David Wood allegedly told investigators his mother died in May 2020. According to WLKY-TV, he said he wrapped his 89-year-old mother’s body up and left her remains on the back porch where they would ultimately be found over a year and a half later. He was reportedly his mother’s caretaker at the time of her death.

WLKY reports Wood had an outstanding warrant for his arrest when he was brought in. Court documents cited by WLKY say he was charged with abuse of a corpse because he "treated the corpse in ways that would outrage ordinary family sensibilities."

According to WAVE, investigators are still investigating Trudia’s cause of death.

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