‘Foul odor’ reveals man was living with a decomposing body, Florida sheriff says

A “foul odor” wafting from a Florida home uncovered a man’s attempt to hide a woman’s decomposing body in his bedroom, according to the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.

The discovery was made around 5 p.m. Friday, May 5, in a neighborhood north of Punta Gorda, about 100 miles south of Tampa.

An identity for the victim has not been released.

“The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residence within the 29000 block of Turbak Drive in reference to a well-being check. After knocking multiple times with no response, deputies investigated the perimeter, and noticed a foul odor emitting from the residence,” the sheriff’s office said.

“Justin D. Carver ... eventually stepped outside, immediately locking the door behind him. Deputies noticed Carver’s evasive behavior and began to question him about the well-being of the victim.”

Deputies eventually made their way into the home and found the woman they were checking on was “in a stage of decomposition on the floor of one of the bedrooms.”

Investigators said the victim was “a woman in her 50s” and no cause of death was revealed. An autopsy is to be conducted.

Carver, 36, was arrested and faces a charge of “failing to report a death to medical examiner and resisting officer without violence.” Bond was set at $20,000 and he remained in the Charlotte County jail as of May 8.

Jail records show Carver had been arrested Jan. 8 on a charge of “battery by intentional touch or strike” and had been released April 17.

This story was originally published May 8, 2023 at 8:11 AM with the headline "‘Foul odor’ reveals man was living with a decomposing body, Florida sheriff says."