A Pennsylvania woman who pretended to search for her missing husband has been charged with his homicide after his body was discovered wrapped in plastic next to their front porch, numerous sources reported.
Janet Winbush, 50, was charged with criminal homicide and abuse of a corpse after police say she claimed she stabbed her husband, 50-year-old Deric Davis, out of self-defense, KDKA reported Tuesday.
Woman charged in husband’s killing in Brighton Heights https://t.co/ZuYFnLVotv
— Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (@PittsburghPG) March 2, 2021
Winbush then allegedly wrapped Davis’ body in garbage bags and tried to hide it under a deflated air mattress outside their Pittsburgh home, WPXI reported.
Davis was reported missing and his family said they had not heard from him since Dec. 14, Pittsburgh police said, according to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette. Winbush pretended to help search for her husband when his family asked questions about his whereabouts, even calling hospitals to look for him.
Davis’ body was found Dec. 22 next to the house’s front porch when police were checking the residence in connection to a missing person case. While waiting for someone to answer the door, police noticed a mound near the front porch that was covered with a deflated air mattress. The police also smelled a decaying body, and discovered Davis’ body when they looked under the mattress, according to TribLIVE.
The smell of a decaying body prompted investigators to look under the mattress, where they discovered the man’s body — stuffed in garbage bags that were wrapped with duct tape.https://t.co/e7UQPvDoD4
— TribLIVE.com (@TribLIVE) March 2, 2021
Police broke into the house to search for other possible victims, and found Winbush sitting in the basement, TribLIVE reported, based off of the complaint. Investigators also said they found a blood-soaked umbrella that was placed behind a piece of paneling.
After obtaining a warrant to search the home, investigators found droplets of blood on the steps leading to the second floor of the home. Parts of the sofa and carpeting appeared to have been bleached, and tests showed that blood was still on the fabric. Rubber gloves and a near-empty roll of duct tape were also found, according to TribLIVE.
The county coroner said Davis had a stab wound, the Post Gazette reported. (RELATED: Animal Rights Attorney Tried To Hire Ranch Hand To Kill Husband For Having Affair With The Nanny)
Winbush allegedly told police that her and Davis had gotten into an argument, and he had repeatedly hit and choked her. She claimed Davis went into the kitchen and got a knife, and she stabbed him in self defense after disarming him when he came at her with his knife, according to TribLIVE.
“Winbush described everything after the stabbing as a blur,” police said, according to TribLIVE.
A close friend of Davis told police that he had intended on divorcing Winbush because of her “crazy behavior,” according to TribLIVE. A family member who cleared out Davis’ apartment after his death said he found blank divorce papers.