Michigan man lived with dead roommate for a month, deputies say

INDEPENDENCE TOWNSHIP, Mich. — A Michigan man is accused of failing to report his roommate’s death, living with the dead man for a month, authorities said.

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Mark Alan Means, 58, of Independence Township, was charged with a misdemeanor charge of failing to report a deceased person, according to Oakland County Sheriff’s Office online booking records.

The body was identified as Michael Leroy Wagner, 76, WJBK-TV reported. Deputies discovered his body in a bathtub when they conducted a welfare check on Tuesday, the television station reported.

Means initially told deputies that Wagner was sleeping and that he did not want to wake him up, WJRT-TV reported. He eventually allowed authorities to enter the home, where they found Wagner’s body, according to the television station.

Authorities believe Wagner, who had lived with Means since 2015, fell on March 7 and died three days later, The Detroit News reported. An autopsy found that Wagner had underlying medical conditions and died of natural causes, according to the newspaper.

There were no signs of foul play, the sheriff’s office said.

“Means could not say why he did not report the death but said he realized it was about time to report it to authorities,” investigators said.

Means remained in the Oakland County Jail after arraignment Friday on $5,000 bail, online records show. A judge ruled that Means cannot live at the home he shared with Wagner, according to WJBK.

He will be allowed to return to the home once to pick up his personal belongings, 52-2nd District Court Judge Joseph Fabrizio ruled, according to the News.

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