Melissa Lockhart Augusta Georgia woman arrested for concealing her mother’s death after burying her body in the backyard. Autopsy awaited.
A Georgia woman has been arrested after allegedly burying her mother’s corpse in their backyard in a bid to hide her death.
The remains of Miriam Lynn Lockhart, 67, were found on June 3 by police who responded to the Augusta, Richmond County residence for a medical call, WFXG reported.
Upon arrival, police encountered Lockhart’s 43-year-old daughter, Melissa Lockhart, who had a broken right knee. It wasn’t clear how the daughter broke her knee and whether she had sought treatment.
The daughter was hospitalized and police then noticed a freshly dug shallow grave in the backyard.
After learning of a recent death at the home, authorities discovered the dead body.
Mystery death
Melissa admitted to police having buried her mom in the backyard after finding her dead in bed on May 31 or June 1, the report said.
The daughter also reportedly explained she did so because she did not want her mother taken away from her, or to be subjected to an autopsy.
The deceased woman’s former realtor employer said her declining health had forced her to eventually stop working.
‘She worked for me for about two or three years, and she was a good agent. A good personality,’ Jeff Keller told via WRDW.
‘We hated to lose her as a full-time, and she went to part-time agent until she decided she just couldn’t do it any longer,’ he said.
While adding of her sudden death, ‘I didn’t realize that she was in any kind of position to be that close to her demise.’
Police have since charged the deceased woman’s daughter, Melissa with concealing a death.
The mother’s cause of death is pending an autopsy.
