Massachusetts police have made an arrest in a case involving a grieving family that allegedly found their loved one’s limbs in a backpack, according to the Boston Herald.
Investigators actually picked up Kathryn Podgurski, 33, prior to Monday’s discovery, as noted by The Enterprise. The medical examiner determined that Podgurski’s boyfriend, 44-year-old Joseph Shaw, was stabbed at least 30 times but he “bled out,” as none of the wounds proved fatal, according to authorities.
Jacinda Shaw, 35, the victim’s cousin, said family members found Joseph’s limbs after Podgurski’s arraignment. Jacinda told reporters that the family was at his Brockton apartment when they discovered a bloodied backpack.
“It was heavy, and when I opened it, his foot popped up,” she said. “We dumped it out on the bed, and there was another bag that we assume was his arm.”
“We couldn’t figure out why the police didn’t find it. It was in plain sight.”
The Plymouth District Attorney’s Office has noted that the 44-year-old was reported as missing on July 17. On the night of July 21, Podgurski allegedly called police from a hotel and led them to the couple’s third-floor apartment, where she presented Joseph’s remains, according to investigators.
Podgurski originally said two men had broken into their home, to burgle the apartment. She claimed Joseph had gotten “loud” during the ordeal, leading one of the assailants to stab him with her knife.
Podgurski told investigators that the men convinced her not to call the police and that her boyfriend’s body was stored in the closet, next to the refrigerator, for six days, according to a police report.
A responding officer mentioned that “he could smell what he recognized immediately as the strong odor of a decomposing body,” WBZ-TV reported.
Assistant District Attorney Richard Linehan said the victim’s right arm was severed below the elbow and his left leg was cut below the knee. His remains were buried underneath plastic bags and a wet comforter. The floor of the closet was covered in kitty litter, which Linehan believes was used to absorb the blood.
Family members claim that Joseph had recently told his girlfriend to move out of their shared domicile. Podgurski was reportedly homeless before they started dating. Authorities have not disclosed a motive for the grisly crime, according to CBS News. The suspect is believed to be pregnant.
Podgurski was charged with murder on Monday. She originally faced accessory after murder charges but prosecutors argued that she lied about the robbery to hide what she had done.
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