Authorities in Huntingdon County say a mother and son are facing charges following a near year-long investigation into human remains being discovered inside a Huntingdon Borough home.
Police say 53-year-old Cassie Bunn and her son, 37-year-old Eric Bunn, are being charged with abuse of a corpse after a woman’s decomposed body was found inside a bedroom last year.
According to the affidavit, authorities were contacted, on Oct. 17, 2023, after a landscaping crew discovered the body while cleaning out the home, which is located along the 2400 block of South Blair Ave., in Huntingdon Borough.
Investigators say, according to the landscaper, the body was allegedly found “in the fetal position” and covered in a stack of blankets.
Police noted in the investigation that the Bunn family had reportedly been evicted from the home, just a few weeks prior to the discovery of the body.
Following a forensic investigation, authorities say the human remains were identified as a woman by the name of Shaienna Kilmer.
Investigators say there was no evidence of “peri-mortem trauma” and Kilmer’s body had reportedly been in the room for less than six months from her time of death to the time that her body was discovered.
Police also noted that when the body was discovered, investigators also found various personal items that reportedly belonged to Kilmer, as well as drug paraphernalia.
Police say that when they interviewed Eric Bunn, he stated that his mother was a known drug user and that it was common for individuals to be “coming and going from the home.”
Investigators say he also told officers that he knew of Kilmer and described her as his “on again, off again girlfriend.”
Police say he also stated that Kilmer allegedly had a drug addiction and said that he had last seen her on May 12, 2023.
According to the affidavit, Eric Bunn told police that he stopped staying at the home, in early September of 2023, because the house “just plain stunk!.”
When asked about the room where Kilmer’s body was discovered, Eric Bunn stated that a couple of months prior to their eviction, he noticed a foul odor coming from said room.
Police say he claimed to have searched for the source of the odor, but believed that it was caused by either a dead cat or from an incident in which his children were staying over and one of them reportedly got sick.
Investigators say they then questioned Cassie Bunn, who allegedly described the room where Kilmer’s body was found as the “children’s room” that she was allegedly planning to turn into a “play area.”
Police say Cassie Bunn openly admitted that the home was in deplorable condition, with no electricity or running water and “backed up sewage.”
Authorities say the home was also littered with cat feces, which Cassie Bunn allegedly blamed on another woman who reportedly frequented the home.
When questioned about the dead body in the room, police say Cassie Bunn stated that she thought the foul smell was from a “litter of dead cats.”
Police say Bunn claimed that she and another individual, who frequented the home, reportedly planned to clean out said room, but that it never happened.
Investigators then asked Bunn about the last time that she saw Kilmer, to which she responded that she could not remember the specific date but stated that she had a Facebook message from her dated May 7, 2023.
Upon further investigation, police learned that CYS had been contacted about the conditions of the home just a couple months prior to the body being discovered.
According to the CYS report, investigators say the case worker was unsuccessful in making contact with anyone at the residence.
Police noted that once their investigation concluded, they informed CYS that there was a dead body inside the home at the time that the case worker was investigating.
Authorities also added that they were shown pictures of the home, by the landscaper, which reportedly showed that Kilmer’s dead body was covered in blankets and debris.
Online records showalso that Cassie Bunn is jailed, at the Huntingdon County Prison, on $50,000 bail, while Eric Bunn has not yet been taken into custody.