Florida Man Accused Of Dumping His Mom’s Body Into River With Chains And Cinder Blocks - Then Reporting Her Missing

A Florida man has been accused of dumping his mom’s assemblage into a stream pinch chains and cinder blocks and past reporting her missing to police.

Local authorities announced the arrest of Joshua Cullen, 47, connected Wednesday aft an investigation led them to his mom’s bound assemblage successful nan Peace River.

Deputies went to a North Fort Myers location to capable retired a missing person’s study from Cullen connected May 25, nan Lee County Sheriff’s Office said successful a Facebook post.

Cullen had allegedly said that his mom either suffered from a stroke, was hospitalized aliases near pinch a able man. He said he had not seen her since March, according to authorities.

Investigators later learned that Cullen had been accessing his mom’s financial accounts, purchasing an RV, nan sheriff’s agency said.

"We judge nan female died wrong nan home, and Cullen continued surviving alongside her deceased body,” Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno said. “This sorry excuse for a man near this female exposed, discarded, and unsocial while he selfishly carried connected pinch his life.”

During their hunt for Cullen’s mom, investigators learned that nan adjacent Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office recovered quality remains by nan Peace River connected March 29.

"A group of boaters saw thing ample submerged successful nan water,” Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell said. “We responded, and located a female wrapped successful carpet, bound tightly and weighed down by cinder blocks and chains.”

The remains were identified arsenic belonging to Cullen’s mom, according to authorities.

Vivien Perez, a female identified arsenic Cullen’s ex-wife, said she was “heartbroken” complete nan woman’s death.

“She decidedly did not merit thing for illustration that,” she told Gulf Coast News.

Investigators were capable to usage licence sheet scholar exertion to allegedly nexus Cullen to nan stream wherever his mom’s assemblage was dumped.

Cullen’s conveyance was seen walking toward Hunters Creek connected March 28 pinch a wheelbarrow attached to nan roof, nan Lee County Sheriff’s Office said.

That wheelbarrow was recovered adjacent wherever his mom’s assemblage was recovered, according to authorities.

As of Wednesday, Cullen was charged pinch neglect of an aged personification and maltreatment of a dormant quality body.

But constabulary said nan investigation remains progressive and authorities will later find whether further charges should beryllium brought against Cullen.