Ohio man paid to take bodies to coroner’s office is charged after jewelry stolen from corpse
By APFriday, January 22, 2010
Ohio man charged after jewelry stolen from corpse
COLUMBUS, Ohio — An Ohio man has been arrested in connection with a piece of jewelry that was stolen from a corpse that he was transporting to the county coroner’s office.
The Franklin County Sheriff’s office said Friday that Derek Lydelle was charged with one count of receiving stolen property. Sgt. B.G. Duffer says the family of a woman who died Dec. 14 noticed that a piece of jewelry worth $1,000 was stolen while her body was taken from her home to the coroner’s office.
Duffer says Lydelle, who worked for J.W. Forney Ground Transportation, sold the jewelry at a pawn shop on Dec. 21.
The coroner’s office says the contract with the transportation company will not be renewed in February. No contact information could be found for Lydelle, and authorities did not say whether he had an attorney.
