Cops: Hospital Guard Had Sex With Corpse
Dead woman, 79, was inside morgue freezer
NOVEMBER 29--A hospital security guard had sex with a 79-year-old woman’s corpse, according to Arizona cops who allege the crime took place inside a morgue freezer last month.
Investigators yesterday arrested Randall Bird, 46, on multiple counts of crimes against a dead person, a felony. Until his recent firing, Bird worked at Banner University Medical Center in Phoenix, where he was responsible for transporting bodies to the hospital morgue.
Cops allege that is where Bird, seen at right, abused the corpse of an elderly woman which had been inside a body bag, according to a probable cause statement.
Investigators say two witnesses reported spotting Bird inside the morgue freezer around 5:30 AM “sweating profusely” and “acting very nervous” on October 24. Additionally, Bird’s zipper was "wide open," his uniform was disheveled, and his belt was atop a gurney "where a bagged deceased body was placed."
The morgue doors had been locked from the inside, cops noted.
The body bag which held victim had been "completely unzipped open," and the corpse was face down and "the victim's hospital gown had been rolled up above her belly button area, exposing her naked body from the waist down."
When the witnesses entered the morgue, they told police, Bird (seen above) sought to cover up the dead woman’s body by pulling down her gown.
Seen above, Bird claimed to have had a medical episode while inside the freezer and could not recall what had transpired afterwards.
However, cops say, Bird’s DNA was found on the corpse of the woman, who had died of natural causes. Post-mortem rib fractures were also detected on the victim’s body.
Bird, who is scheduled for a preliminary hearing next month, is free on supervised release until that court appearance.
A hospital spokesperson said that coworkers had “identified and reported concerning behavior of an employee in the hospital morgue,” which prompted an internal investigation, the filing of a report with law enforcement, and the firing of Bird. (2 pages)