Police are looking for a 46-year-old Taylor man who apparently lived in a motel room with his girlfriend’s body for days before she was found dead on Friday, May 29, in a Taylor hotel, according to the Taylor Police Department.
No foul play is suspected by medical examiners, Taylor Police Lt. Joshua Schneider said on Wednesday, June 3. Police identified the woman as Rebecca Patnaude, 44, of Taylor.
Schneider said police are presenting the case to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office for potential charges while simultaneously looking for the dead woman’s boyfriend.
Schneider said the man has been using the Patnaude’s credit card for weeks and police believe he has fled the state.
Police were dispatched to the hotel at about 2 p.m. Friday after receiving a call from an employee at the Red Roof Inn, 21230 Eureka Road, who found the body. When police arrived, the body was severely decomposed.
“She had been dead for days,” Schneider said. Investigators believe her boyfriend remained in the room several days after her death.
The investigation remains active, officials say.
Jalen Williams is a trending reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jawilliams1@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Man stayed in motel room with girlfriend’s body, police say
Reporting by Jalen Williams, USA TODAY NETWORK / Detroit Free Press
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By Jalen Williams, USA TODAY NETWORK | USA TODAY Network
