Daughter hid dead mum's body at home for months so she could study human decay

Police have accused a North Carolina woman of keeping the body of her 93-year-old mother at home for months because she wanted to see the various stages of death. The Enfield Police department has charged 69-year-old Donna Sue Hudgins with felony concealment of death over the incident. 

According to a post on the department Chief Tyree Davis' Facebook page, suspicions first arose when Hudgins went to a funeral home to make arrangements for her mother Nellie Mae Hudgins but claimed she did not know where the Emergency Medical Services had taken the body. Following this, the funeral home had made its own attempts to find the body and failed. They subsequently became concerned and contacted the Enfield Police Department who sent Davis, Officer Jerry Shoemaker, and Detective Teo Antunez Jr. to the mother's residence.

The officers found Hudgins living at the home and, after a conversation, entered the residence to perform a welfare check. It's here that they discovered a badly decomposed body of the 69-year-old's mother.

An investigation was opened into the incident, with Detective Willie Murphy Jr. and Detective Antunez Jr. leading the way. It was found that the body had been at the home for several months before Hudgins finally notified family members and relatives of her mother's passing.

Kenny Velasquez, who said he was separated from Nellie Hudgins' granddaughter, said that family members had tried to visit the 93-year-old on various occasions but that her daughter kept making excuses. "Every time somebody would stop by, she would meet us at the door, say she’s asleep or something like that," he said. "Apparently every time someone would call, same thing."

While the motive behind Hudgins bizarre act of keeping the body in the house was initially unknown, the reason came to light after the detectives interviewed her. She claimed she did not report the death because she was curious and wanted to see the different stages of death and decay.

The department reported that, after consulting with the Halifax County Assistant District Attorney, charges were filed against Hudgins for the concealment of her 93-year-old mother. She was later arrested and issued a $5,000 bond by Magistrate Christopher Kidd.

In a statement, the department said it would not be commenting on the case or providing any further information. "After consulting with the district attorney's office, the Enfield Police Department will not be making any other statements regarding this case. If you have any questions or concerns, you can contact the Halifax County District Attorney’s Office," it read.

The 69-year-old is currently scheduled to appear in court on November 7. It is not known whether she is being represented by an attorney.