A Colorado couple, James David Agnew, 55, and Suzanne Ruth Agnew, 57, are accused of living with their threesome lover’s corpse for approximately 18 months.
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According to an arrest affidavit obtained by Law & Crime, the gruesome discovery was made on June 19, 2025. The Lakewood Police Department was contacted by Robert O’Neill, who said he hadn’t seen his brother, James O’Neill, since 2019, and requested a welfare check.
Police officers arrived at O’Neill’s address, and they were met by a male who identified himself only as “James,” as per the affidavit. It was later revealed that it was James Agnew, but he appeared to portray himself as James O’Neill, saying he didn’t want to hear from his family, according to the document.
After corroborating Agnew’s identity with Robert O’Neill, officers came back to the residence and interviewed James and Suzanne Agnew. However, the affidavit detailed that they were initially not allowed inside.
Regarding James O’Neill’s whereabouts, the couple gave conflicting stories, saying that he lived with them once but had moved out after meeting a “foreign woman online,” the affidavit added.
Things got more complicated as Robert O’Neill contacted the Agnews about depositing an inheritance in James O’Neill’s account. The Agnews allegedly changed their story, saying that James had returned to live with them. However, O’Neill was supposedly still refusing to talk to Robert.
The Agnews provided James O’Neill’s bank account and social security number. However, they stopped talking to Robert when they were made aware that James O’Neill had to be present for the deposit, the affidavit alleged.
Robert checked his brother’s bank account and found monthly deposits and withdrawals, according to the affidavit. Police then obtained video surveillance footage showing James Agnew allegedly making purchases with James O’Neill’s debit card.
Body Found
On July 3, 2025, following investigations, a search warrant was obtained, and James Agnew was arrested without incident. Suzanne Agnew, however, “immediately” told police that they would find James O’Neill’s body inside the residence, the affidavit alleged.
In a post-Miranda interview, Suzanne detailed that she, James Agnew, and James O’Neill had been in a threeway relationship. However, in December 2023, O’Neill died, possibly caused by drug use or a medical condition, according to the affidavit.
Suzanne allegedly said that James Agnew “suggested” they call the police, but she wasn’t ready to “give up” Jim. She then said that “it was wrong” not to report O’Neill’s death, the affidavit alleged. Later, chillingly, she allegedly admitted to covering the body, “after about a week the chihuahuas began ‘chewing’ on him.”
In an interview, James Agnew allegedly admitted to using O’Neill’s debit card and to knowing of his passing. As per the affidavit, Agnew told the police that O’Neill used meth and cocaine at the time.
It is estimated by the police that James and Suzanne Agnew used $17,406 of James O’Neill’s monthly Social Security deposits.
James and Suzanne Agnew are charged with one count each of tampering with a deceased human body and abuse of a corpse. They also face theft and unauthorized use of a financial transactional device charges.