Douglas Layman: Ohio Women Accused of Driving Deceased Man to Bank

Ohio Women Accused of Driving Deceased Man’s Body to Bank

Two women from Ohio, Karen Casbohm, 63, and Loreen Bea Feralo, 55, have been charged with gross abuse of a corpse and theft from a person in a protected class after allegedly driving the body of an 80-year-old man to a bank to withdraw money from his account before dropping his body off at a hospital.

The incident unfolded on Monday evening when the women dropped off the unidentified body at the Ashtabula County Medical Centre emergency room. A few hours later, one of them contacted the hospital with information on the deceased, later identified as Douglas Layman, an 80-year-old resident of Ashtabula.

According to the police, Casbohm and Feralo claimed they found Layman dead at their shared residence. With the help of a third unnamed individual, they placed Layman’s body in the front seat of his car and drove to a bank to withdraw an undisclosed amount of money from his account.

Ashtabula Police Chief Robert Stell revealed that Layman’s body was positioned in a way that would be visible to bank staff during the withdrawal process. The women had reportedly been allowed to make withdrawals on his behalf in the past, as long as they were accompanied by Layman.

Lieutenant Mike Palinkas stated that one of the women had been in a long-term relationship with Layman, while the other had been residing at the property for a few months. Palinkas mentioned that taking money from Layman’s account was a regular occurrence, but he could not provide a clear reason for their actions on that particular day.

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Palinkas added, “Allegedly, they wanted to pay some bills, but outside of that, there wasn’t a specific motivation provided.” Casbohm was arraigned and held on a US$5,000 bond, while Feralo is set for arraignment next week.

It remains unclear if the accused women have legal representation, as the contact numbers associated with their names were disconnected. The county public defender’s office has been approached for comment on their defense.

Police indicated that the investigation is ongoing, and additional charges could be forthcoming. The coroner’s office anticipates that an autopsy to determine the cause of Layman’s death may take up to eight months to complete.