Jeffery Apprill was arrested and charged in the death of his mother, Karen Apprill, who was found dead in her Colorado home about seven to 10 months after she died, according to the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office.
Jeffery Apprill, 55, was booked into the Boulder County Jail Wednesday, July 13, 2021 and faces charges related to tampering with a corpse, concealing a death and neglect of an at-risk person, according to his jail records. The investigation into the death of 78-year-old Karen Apprill began last year when law enforcement was called to her home for a welfare check, the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
Deputies entered the home in an unincorporated part of Boulder County and found her body badly decomposed on August 28, 2020, the sheriff’s office said.
“Detectives obtained a search warrant for the home and based upon initial observations it was believed the individual, later identified as Karen Apprill, had died seven to ten months prior to the discovery,” said the statement.
Here’s what you need to know:
Jeffery Apprill Is Accused of Injuring His Elderly Mother Before & After Her Death
The Boulder County Sheriff’s office alleges that Jeffery Apprill abused his mom and caused injuries both before after her death, according to their statement. An autopsy was not able to determine her cause of death, law enforcement said.
“During the autopsy, Karen’s body was described as being in the advanced stages of decomposition and both antemortem and postmortem trauma was discovered. Karen’s cause of death was listed as undetermined and the mechanism of death could not be determined,” the statement said.
Here is his jail record:
He is charged with Tampering with a Deceased Human Body, a class three felony, Criminal Exploitation of an At Risk Person (more than $500), a class three felony, At Risk Negligence Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, a class five felony, Caretaker Neglect Against an At-Risk Person, a class one misdemeanor, and Concealing a Death, a class one misdemeanor, the statement said.
Deputies Found the Body of Karen Apprill After Jeffery Apprill Was Admitted to the Hospital
The investigation into Karen Apprill’s death began August 28, 2020, after deputies were called to check on her at her home in the 3900 block of Bosque Court, Boulder, deputies said. At that time, the caller said Jeffery Apprill was in the hospital and Karen Apprill had not been seen for more than a week.
“Deputies responded to the home and after knocking on the door, calling phone numbers associated with the home, and speaking with friends and neighbors entered the home to check on Karen. Deputies discovered a decomposing body inside of the home. Detectives obtained a search warrant for the home and based upon initial observations it was believed the individual, later identified as Karen Apprill, had died seven to ten months prior to the discovery,” the statement said.
Although investigators were not able to determine how Karen Apprill died, they were able to collect enough evidence to charge her son, the statement went on to say.
“In the following months detectives worked with Boulder County Adult Protective Services and served multiple search warrants,” the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office said. “Based on statements and physical evidence investigators are not able to determine the cause and manner of Karen’s death however they were able to establish probable cause to arrest Jeffrey Apprill for the above listed charges.”
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