‘Two people carrying a dead body’ Man accused of abuse of corpse in Dayton death

DAYTON — A warrant has been issued for a Dayton man accused in connection to the 2023 death of a 36-year-old man.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

James Hancock, 48, was formally charged Wednesday with two felony counts of tampering with evidence and a felony count of gross abuse of a corpse, according to court documents.

As previously reported by News Center 7, Dayton police were called to an apartment in the first block of Richmond Ave on a suspicious circumstance on Nov. 1, 2023. An obtained 911 call revealed what neighbors saw.

“My wife called me and said she [saw] two people carrying a dead body,” the 911 caller told dispatchers.

TRENDING STORIES:

• ‘It was chaos;’ Deadly home explosion captured on neighbor’s security camera
• 75-year-old woman sentenced after pleading guilty to robbing credit union
• Man accused of abducting Ohio infant taken into custody

The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as Matthew Thomas.

They told News Center 7 that he died in the apartment.

As part of the investigation, Dayton Police was looking for an older red and white Ford pickup truck.

Anyone with information on this case is asked to contact (937) 333-1232 where they can speak with a detective. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can do so through Crime Stoppers at (937) 222-STOP (7867) or www.miamivalleycrimestoppers.com.

Hancock’s next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 31.

© 2023 Cox Media Group