Oklahoma woman accused of removing dead rival’s body parts
May 15, 2015, 4:42 PM
TULSA, Okla. (AP) — An Oklahoma woman accused of slashing the corpse of her boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend at a funeral home last month is now accused of removing body parts of the deceased woman.
Prosecutors added a fourth felony charge against 26-year-old Shaynna Sims on Thursday, accusing her of removing both breasts and a toe of the deceased woman during a viewing at a funeral home in Tulsa. If convicted, she could face up to five years in prison.
Sims was arrested at the dead woman’s apartment after she attended the viewing on April 30. Police said Sims also stole the dead woman’s shoes and was carrying a knife with the woman’s hair attached to it.
Witnesses told officers they saw Sims reach into the casket during the viewing. The dead woman’s face was found slashed from her hairline to the tip of her nose, her makeup was smeared and her hair was on the floor, police said. The additional mutilation of the woman’s body was discovered as it was being prepared for cremation.
“We don’t have anything that she has openly said to anyone as to why she did it,” Tulsa Police Sgt. Shane Tuell said Friday. “At this point, we don’t know what her motivation was.”
Sims has been free on bond, and neither she nor her attorney returned phone messages seeking comment Friday on the allegations. A phone number listed for the deceased woman’s family rang unanswered.
Prosecutors said they planned to ask a judge Monday that her bond be increased in light of the new charge, unlawful removal of body part from deceased. A spokeswoman at the district attorney’s office said prosecutors have not asked for a specific bond amount yet.
The other three felonies Sims is facing are larceny from a person, knowingly concealing or receiving stolen property, and first-degree burglary. She also is charged with two misdemeanors of unauthorized dissection and disturbing or interrupting a funeral. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 27.
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