Connecticut — Authorities conducting a welfare check on a 70-year-old woman discovered her body chopped up and placed in 14 to 16 trash bags in a locked closet at her West Haven, Connecticut, home.
Her 27-year-old son, Theodore Lloyd, is now facing charges of attempted arson and trespassing after police discovered him attempting to torch the house. Cops say Lloyd will face additional charges in the death of his mother, Tina Lloyd, and they believe he acted alone.
The investigation began on March 24 when Tina Lloyd’s older son requested that West Haven police conduct a welfare check on her at her home on Nashawen Avenue, according to a press release. When officers arrived, they were greeted with the odor of a decomposing body.
They entered the house and discovered 14 to 16 trash bags in a closet containing dismembered body parts. Cops also found evidence of an attempted arson.
“The victim’s body was in such a state of decomposition that positive identification took some time,” West Haven Police Chief Joe Perno told reporters during a press conference on Friday.
Tina Lloyd was positively identified after DNA testing and comparison, according to Perno. Detectives sorted through “thousands” of pieces of evidence. Surveillance footage of Theodore Lloyd leaving Home Depot and Walmart with items used in the dismemberment was crucial in identifying him as a suspect, according to police.
“There were several cutting utensils, an electric chainsaw, and other similar items,” Det. Jeff Gavinelli stated. “A lot of the items were concealed in plastic bags, either in an attempt to be hidden or destroyed, but that was all retrieved by our ID unit.”
Police discovered paper and lighter fluid in the home, which they believe were intended to start a fire.
Police said the suspect lived with his mother until 2018, when he moved out due to a domestic incident. He was homeless at the time of his mother’s death, according to police.
Perno did not provide a motive for the murder. On April 14, Hartford police arrested Theodore Lloyd and turned him over to West Haven police. He is currently in jail on a $1 million bond.
Neighbors claimed they hadn’t seen Tina Lloyd in two or three months.
“We missed her and hadn’t seen her,” Denny Steeves told local Fox affiliate WTIC. “We didn’t know where she was.”
Steeves stated that despite her age, she was still physically active.
“She would walk up and down the street with her walker, and if she returned home with a lot of groceries, I’d ask her, ‘Tina, do you want me to help you with your groceries?'” She’d say, “No, this is how I exercise.” Very nice lady. “Tragic, tragic,” Steeves said during an interview with local CBS affiliate WSFB.
