MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A woman accused of abusing her husband’s corpse is now facing murder charges in his death.
Police found Waddell Twilley’s body in a storage bin at a home in the 4100 block of Cottonwood Saturday after a family member heard the victim’s phone ringing behind a wall.
County records showed Monday that Latosha Starks-Twilley, 38, is facing first-degree murder and murder in perpetration of a felony charges, in addition to abuse of a corpse.
“I don’t believe. I still can’t believe it,” said neighbor Melvin Carter. He saw Memphis Police swarm the neighborhood over the weekend.
Police said a family member called for help after hearing the victim’s phone ringing behind a wall upstairs.
Police found the victim in a storage container in the attic crawl space. Police said covering the body were clothes, dirt, concrete mix and other items.
WREG dug a little deeper into Starks-Twilley’s history.
In 2006, police said Starks-Twilley shot a 13-year-old family member after she claimed the boy raped her. Police said she “became angry,” went into the living room where the boy was sleeping and shot him in his back.
Officials charged her with aggravated assault, attempted second-degree murder and aggravated statutory rape.
Records suggest she did not bond out of jail, but she did plead guilty to aggravated statutory rape and aggravated assault in 2011.
Her plea landed her on the sex offender registry, but she got to go home on probation. The district attorney’s office confirms she was sentenced to three years probation and six years probation to be served concurrently.
Neighbors told WREG they have seen children playing at the home before.
Police found three children aged 3, 8 and 11 at the couple’s home over the weekend. Police said they may now be with a family member.
Tennessee state law allows stepparents who are sex offenders to remain in the home with minor children unless their victim is under age 13. In this situation, that does not appear to be the case.
Waddell Twilley’s cause of death has not yet been determined.