PUNTA GORDA, Fla. — A Florida man was arrested on Friday after his mother’s decomposing body was found inside a residence, authorities said.
Justin D. Carver, 36, of Punta Gorda, was arrested and charged with failure to report a death to the medical examiner, according to Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office online booking records. The body of his mother, Layni Carver, 55, of Punta Gorda, was found “in a stage of decomposition” on the floor in one of the home’s bedrooms, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.
According to the news release, deputies responded to a residence in Punta Gorda to conduct a welfare check.
Deputies knocked on the door several times with no response but observed “a foul odor” coming from the home, WINK-TV reported.
According to a probable cause affidavit from the sheriff’s office, Justin Carver left the residence and closed the door behind him. After deputies questioned him, they entered the home and found Layni Carver’s body.
The affidavit stated that Carver allegedly told deputies that his mother had been dead when he found her on May 3, WINK reported.
The sheriff’s office said the death was not a homicide, according to the television station. An autopsy will be performed, officials said.
“The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office takes incidents of this nature seriously and is committed to ensuring that justice is served,” Sheriff Bill Prummell said in a statement. “We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and loved ones of the deceased during this difficult time.”
