Man charged with neglect of elderly person and abuse of dead body

LEE COUNTY, Fla. (WINK) — A man is accused of wrapping a woman's body in a rug, weighing it down with blocks and dumping it in a river, according to Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno and Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell.

• RELATED: Charlotte County detectives seek help identifying woman found dead in Peace River

Joshua Cullen was arrested following a months-long investigation that began when he reported a woman missing on May 25. He allegedly told Lee County Sheriff's Office deputies she had either suffered a stroke and been hospitalized or left with an unidentified wealthy man, claiming he had not seen her since March.

As detectives investigated, they discovered that Cullen had allegedly accessed the woman's financial accounts and purchased an RV. The woman's personal belongings, including her bed and other furniture, were also missing from the home.

Detectives later learned that human remains had been discovered near the Peace River in Charlotte County on March 29. Evidence suggests the remains are those of the woman Cullen reported missing.

Using investigative techniques and license plate readers, detectives said they connected Cullen to the disposal site. On March 28, his vehicle was captured traveling toward the area with a wheelbarrow secured to the roof, the same wheelbarrow, authorities said, located near where the body was recovered.

Cullen has been charged with neglect of an elderly person and abuse of a dead human body.

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