Roommates of deceased Ohio man drive his body to withdraw money from bank

Police have charged two roommates of a recently deceased man with corpse abuse for propping up his body to withdraw money from his bank account, according to authorities.

Loreen B. Feralo, 55, and Karen Kasbohm, 63, discovered the man's lifeless body on Monday and tookit to a bank they had previously visited with him, stated Ashtabula Police Department Chief Robert B. Stell.

Assisted by an unnamed third person, the roommates placed the body in the front seat of the deceased man's car to make it visible to bank staff. They then drove to the familiar bank branch, withdrawing an undisclosed amount, the chief explained.

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Stell revealed that the suspects had previously withdrawn money from the man's account with his approval while he was present. The chief informed the Star Beacon, an Ashtabula daily news platform, that the roommates utilised the bank's drive-thru teller window during the alleged incident.

The unusual scheme began to unravel when the pair left the deceased man's body at Ashtabula County Medical Center after the money withdrawal, hastily departing without providing information to hospital staff, Stell said. Subsequently, one of the suspects contacted the facility with partial details about the man, leading to the identification of the deceased as Douglas Layman, 80, according to the chief.

Upon visiting Layman's Ashtabula residence, officers learned about the bizarre bank trip from the roommates, Stell added. The suspects have made court appearances, but it remains unclear whether they entered pleas or obtained legal representation. The county public defender's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

(With inputs from agencies)