A Connecticut man allegedly beat a woman to death with a baseball bat over $200 in cocaine, then lived with her body in their apartment for a week-and-a-half before he dismembered her, put her torso in a suitcase and rolled it to a nearby cemetery.

Donald Coffel stands accused of murder in the death of 58-year-old Suzanne Wormser in the city of Groton. According to a probable cause arrest affidavit posted to local CBS affiliate WFSB, Groton city police began investigating on March 19 when a passerby smelled a foul odor from a suitcase at the entrance of Colonel Ledyard Cemetery. The caller told cops he had noticed the suitcase near some trash cans and became curious about what was inside. When he walked up to the suitcase, it smelled as if something was rotting inside, so he called police.

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Cops got on scene and opened the suitcase to find the torso of a woman’s body that was missing the head and other extremities. Police on April 11 posted a press release on its Facebook page about the death along with an FBI tip line. Wormser’s sister called in to say she hadn’t heard from her in months and she didn’t call to wish her a happy birthday, which was unlike her. She gave cops Wormser’s address and detectives went to check out the apartment in the 100 block of Allen Street, which happens to be less than 1,000 feet from the cemetery.

Officers also learned that Coffel had lived with her for a time. Neighbors told cops they hadn’t seen Wormser in months and Coffel was in the hospital. Cops entered the home and it was evident there had been a crime committed, the affidavit said. There was blood on the walls, rugs, furniture and clothing. Investigators also found a baseball bat hidden behind a bookcase. On the bat, there appeared to be dried blood and strands of brown hair matted on it, according to the cops.

Detectives went to the hospital to speak with Coffel, who was receiving treatment for pancreatic cancer. During a noncustodial interview, Coffel explained that he used to be Wormser’s neighbor before he moved to Arizona for a few months to live near his sister. That didn’t work out, so he moved back to Groton. Since he didn’t have anywhere else to live, Wormser allowed him to live with her starting in late November. He told cops Wormser had drug and mental health problems, and he didn’t particularly like her, but he tolerated her since she was allowing him to live in the apartment.

Coffel said he had back surgery in late December and stayed in the hospital before returning home in late January. He said she was there when he came home, but later left. Cops noted in the affidavit he “seemed to settle on the idea of the victim going missing between January and February when he came back from a hospital visit.” Coffel allegedly said he didn’t know where she went and it wasn’t unusual for her to leave for a day or two at a time and return.

A Florida couple allegedly suffocated a teen girl to death with a billiard ball before chopping her up and stuffing the body parts in the trunk after torturing her for a week over a missing ring.

Steven Gress, 35, and his girlfriend Michelle Brandes, 37, needed to dispose of the victim’s remains — but first they needed to celebrate Brandes’ birthday, cops wrote in a search warrant request obtained by the Tampa Bay Times. Gress and Brandes ate chicken at Popeyes and then played mini golf at Congo River in Clearwater, the 25-page warrant written by the St. Petersburg Police Department reportedly said. After their birthday bash, the two suspects allegedly drove around the Tampa Bay area looking for places to dispose of 16-year-old Miranda Corsette’s body.

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Eventually, they found a dumpster near where Gress’ grandparents lived in Ruskin and tossed Miranda’s remains there, the warrant reportedly said. They got lucky: Cops believe the dumpster was taken to a landfill and its contents — including Mirada’s remains — were incinerated. Now prosecutors will have to try and convict the couple without a body.

But helping the state’s case is the fact at least six people saw Miranda with the couple or knew she was being tortured, the warrant seeking to obtain the contents of Gress’ mother’s phone reportedly states. Per cops, Gress was known by neighbors to take disadvantaged women into his home. Miranda, a mother of an 1-year-old child, was a frequent runaway with mental health and drug issues, cops said. Detectives believe Gress and Miranda met on a dating app and took her to his home in mid-February. Gress allegedly spoke to neighbors about the girl and even bragged to them about hurting her.

“This little b—- stole my ring and won’t give it back,” he reportedly said. “So I’ve been beating her a–.”

Gress also allegedly sent nude pictures of Miranda that showed her increasingly worsening injuries to at least three people, including his mother. His mother denied seeing them.

While no one else has been charged, Sixth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Bruce Bartlett told the Times “there’s a pretty good likelihood of more to come.” Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Gress and Brandes.

Detectives also questioned a woman who lived with the defendants. She accused Gress of being abusive and he would buy animals off Craigslist and kill them by throwing them off a bridge, the warrant reportedly stated. Not long into Miranda’s stay, he accused her of stealing his ring, cops reportedly wrote. This sparked the weeklong abuse and torture, cops allege. As the alleged torture continued, Brandes said she found the ring. The roommate thought Brandes probably had it all along and took it so he would ditch Miranda, according to the warrant.

A Colorado man who was arrested with human remains in his jacket was convicted of murder after attempting to claim that his victim killed herself.

Solomon Martinez, 27, was found guilty by a jury on March 13 after going on trial for the January 2024 murder of Renee Portillos, 47. According to reporting from the courtroom by KKTV, a local CBS affiliate, prosecutors presented DNA evidence, the autopsy report, and evidence from Martinez’s phone that pointed to his guilt. The defense unsuccessfully argued that Portillos killed herself.

A Florida couple is behind bars after they allegedly lured a teenage girl they met online to their home, tortured and suffocated her to death over a piece of missing jewelry, and dismembered her body before disposing of her remains in a dumpster.

Steven Gress, 35, and his girlfriend Michell Brandes, 37, stand accused of first-degree murder and kidnapping in the death of 16-year-old Miranda Corsette. The St. Petersburg Police Department said in a press release Friday that Gress picked up the girl on Feb. 14 after meeting her on a dating app and took her to his home in the 2700 block of 27th Ave. N. After hanging out that day, he drove her back to her home. Miranda returned to his home the next day, but this time she would not make it out alive.

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St. Petersburg police Chief Anthony Holloway told reporters at a press conference that there was a dispute over some missing jewelry on Feb. 20. Gress and Brandes allegedly assaulted and tortured Miranda for the next week.

“Repeatedly beat the victim, while holding her captive for seven days and eventually suffocating her by wrapping plastic wrap around her face,” a judge said during Gress’ first appearance, according to local NBC affiliate WFLA.

Gress and Brandes then put the teen’s body in his car and drove the remains some 15 miles to a home in the 12000 block of Mallory Drive in Largo. There, police believe she was dismembered. Her remains were once again moved, this time to a dumpster about 55 miles away across Tampa Bay. Cops have located the dumpster, however the remains were disposed into a Hillsborough County landfill. Cops are continuing to search for Miranda’s body.

Miranda’s grandmother, who had custody of her after both of her parents died, reported her missing to Gulfport police on Feb. 24. Gulfport police commander and acting chief Mary Farrand said her department is “very familiar” with Miranda, who is a “frequent runaway” with a history of mental health issues and drug abuse. She also was the mother of a 11-month-old child. Her grandma told police Miranda was known to run away and she’d usually return home, but not this time.

On Thursday, a “witness” contacted police regarding information about a kidnapping and homicide. Police realized they already had Gress in custody after he allegedly pointed a harpoon at Brandes and was in possession of drugs. Detectives quickly unfurled the horrific case. Brandes turned herself into cops on Saturday.

A Florida man is under arrest after strangling his girlfriend to death, dismembering her body, and then hiding her remains in a haphazardly tossed-away suitcase, officials in the Sunshine State say.

Jorge Javier Quintero, 41, stands accused of one count each of murder in the first degree and fraudulent use of personal information, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

But it was concern for the alleged killer’s own well-being that led law enforcement to the grim circumstances of a weekslong missing persons case that came to a gruesome denouement this week.

A Kentucky woman is behind bars after pieces of another woman’s dismembered body were found behind her mother’s home earlier this week, police in the Bluegrass State say.

Torilena Fields, 32, stands accused of one count each of obstructing governmental operations, tampering with physical evidence, and abuse of corpse, according to Bourbon County jail records.

Law enforcement says multiple indices of occult practices came up during the so-far brief investigation into the macabre crime scene.