DESOTO, Mo. — A Jefferson County man is facing charges after deputies said he hid a woman's dead boy instead of reporting her death to police.
Stephon Lee Seidl, 62, was charged last month with abandonment of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence in connection with the death of 35-year-old Danielle Thomas.
According to charging documents, Thomas' body was found on Aug. 30 in a wooded area about 30 feet from Engledow Road in Desoto, Missouri. Seidl lives on Engledow Road and a witness told police Thomas was staying with him in the days before she was found dead.
Charging documents said Seidl admitted that Thomas was staying in his spare bedroom, and said he found her dead in the house on Aug. 29. He told police she was stiff and cold to the touch.
A portion of the charging documents is redacted, and none of the visible text says how Thomas' body ended up in the woods.
A press release from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said evidence indicated Seidl cleaned up the room in his home where Thomas' body was found.
Charging documents said Thomas' body showed no signs of trauma and her death is not considered a homicide. Her death is still being investigated by the regional medical examiner's office.
Seidl's bond was set at $20,000. At a hearing Wednesday afternoon, a judge denied Seidl's request to have his bail reduced.
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