Husband and wife charged after decomposing body found in home
A husband and wife in Canton Township were charged by Greene Washington Regional Police Department this week after the decomposing body of a man was found in their home.
Debbie Bebout, 64, and James Bebout, 68, each face a felony charge of theft by unlawful taking and a misdemeanor of abuse of a corpse.
The charges are related to the death of 64-year-old Michael Bebout, James Bebout’s brother.
According to the criminal complaint, James Bebout called police to 500 Hayes Ave. the morning of Jan. 16 to report that he discovered his brother dead and “stiff as a board” after going to offer him breakfast.
James Bebout told investigators his wife was the primary caretaker for Michael Bebout, but she was not at the house due to being incarcerated in the Washington County jail following an accident the previous night.
The complaint describes Michael Bebout as “completely decomposed” and that his “remains were nothing but a skeleton.”
Charging documents state that Debbie Bebout admitted to knowing Michael Bebout was dead as early as October 2024, though in a follow-up interview she told police she found him deceased around Labor Day.
She allegedly confessed to cashing her brother-in-law’s $1,200-a-month Social Security checks to pay for food and gas, according to court documents. The complaint alleges she stole about $6,000.
Debbie Bebout claimed to investigators that she kept the death a secret from her husband and would pretend to take care of Michael Bebout each day. She told police she was concerned they would no longer be able to live in the house if her brother-in-law’s death was discovered.
Court records do not offer any specific allegation suggesting that James Bebout was aware his brother had died.
However, Greene Washington Regional Police Chief William DeForte said investigators do not believe that James Bebout remained unaware of his brother’s death until his call to police in January.
“According to our investigation … both parties were staying in that house, sleeping overnight in that house, throughout the duration of Mr. Bebout’s decomposition process,” DeForte said.
DeForte added that a decomposing body “sets off indicators” that are not likely to go unnoticed.
“It is a smell that is extraordinarily distinct,” DeForte said. “If you walk into a house and there is a decomposing body, you know. It’s something that you couldn’t avoid.”
According to DeForte, charges were not filed until Tuesday because police only recently received a toxicology report.
The criminal complaint lists 500 Hayes Ave. as Debbie and James Bebout’s address, though the property has since been sold at a sheriff’s sale. DeForte described 500 Hayes as their last-known address, and that police are actively seeking to arrest the couple.