Arrested A Man Carrying The Body Of His Wife In The Front Seat Of His Car

2024 Author: Steven Freeman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 08:15

A retired man was arrested after being caught driving on a highway with his wife's body in the passenger seat.

Rodney Puckett, 70, told officials in the city of Eloy, Arizona, that his wife, Linda, 74, had died at a hotel in Texas, at least 800 miles away.

The man dragged his wife's body to his car before continuing the journey to his destination, according to officials. Authorities did not report where Puckett was going when they arrested him.

"While talking to Rodney, Detective Edmonds observed a deserved woman sitting in the passenger seat," said a police statement. Rodney told detectives that Linda died at a hotel in Texas during her trip. He moved his body in his vehicle, continuing towards his destination."

Linda Puckett's body was released to Pinal County coroners to establish a cause of death. Investigators said they were working with Texas police to determine if she was killed.

The couple, who married in 2011, were divorced. Linda received a restraining order against her husband on February 6 and filed for divorce on February 8, according to authorities.

In April, Rodney was reported missing, but the alert was canceled once it was discovered that he was not heard from because he was in a Kansas jail. The alert reported that Rodney has bipolar disorder.

Puckett was charged with the abandonment or concealment of a body and taken to the Pinal County Jail. You could face additional charges.

Eloy police say the investigation is in the early stages and will release more information as it unfolds.