David Gibson: NJ man, 44, arrested after decomposed body of GF found in trash bag of his rented apartment
TRENTON, NEW JERSEY: A 44-year-old man was arrested weeks after his girlfriend's decaying body, who had probably been dead for months, was discovered in a garbage bag in the apartment the couple shared. The Mercer County Prosecutor's Office announced Wednesday, January 18, that David Gibson, of Trenton, has been charged with the desecration of human remains.
Gibson, who was kicked out of the residence on November 18, was arrested outside the Trenton, New Jersey Transit Center on January 11, 2023.
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Gibson said that when he returned to the residence on the 600 block of Beatty Street in July, he saw his girlfriend Kirshon Smith unresponsive. According to an affidavit of probable cause describing the charge against Gibson, he stated that he attempted to revive her but was unable, as reported by True Jersey.
Gibson claimed to have then placed his deceased girlfriend in the bed where "she remained for approximately 10-14 days." Later, he placed Smith's body in a trash bag and put it in the closet, where it remained until the decomposing remains were discovered on December 23 by the apartment's landlord while cleaning the place. According to the complaint, the landlord informed police he sensed a terrible odor coming from a garbage bag and discovered a human skull inside when he opened it. After that, the landlord dialed 911.
The cause of Smith's death is still being investigated. The public defender's office is representing Gibson. Anyone with knowledge of the inquiry is encouraged to contact the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office at 609-989-6406 or can also send information to mchtftips@mercercounty.org.
MEAWW previously reported a relatively similar incident where a California man, 57, lived with a dead roommate for 4 years, stole his ID, and cashed checks. Darren Pirtle, a man who lived with his dead roommate for up to four years, has been charged with theft and forgery. Kevin Olson's family, who had not heard from him since October 2018, raised the alarm. Police were then granted a search order for his house in Chico, Northern California.
In a surprising find, authorities discovered that Darren had stolen the name and money from his deceased roommate while looking for evidence regarding his demise. According to the Butte County District Attorney's office, he was charged with the same offense. Pirtle was charged with multiple charges of forgery in Butte County Superior Court after forging checks from the deceased man's bank account.