Nephew charged with concealing death after woman's body found in home

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Police said the body of an 88-year-old woman was found decomposed in her bed and her nephew has been charged with concealing her death.

The property manager at Emory Square in Decatur said he had not received a rent payment for Elizabeth Stewart in three months.

He went to serve an eviction notice Friday and said the door was chained.

“He wasn’t able to get into the door, so that’s when he contacted police,” DeKalb County Police Department spokeswoman Shiera Campbell said.

Stewart’s body was found inside. Police said she was covered by a sheet and there was a towel over her head. The medical examiner said she died of natural causes.

For weeks, neighbor George Roberts said, he knew something was wrong downstairs.

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“I would slam everything and beat on the floor to just try to get a reaction. It didn’t happen,” he said.

Roberts said Stewart’s landline phone was cut off and her nephew cellphone went straight to voicemail. He said he didn’t hear any of the normal sounds coming from the apartment.

“I couldn’t hear the TV,” he said.

Police arrested Stewart's nephew, Charles Peters, 37, and charged him with concealing a death

“He had also taken steps to conceal her death. He had covered her body. There were several candles in the home, as well as air fresheners,” Campbell said.

Campbell said apartment management had contact with him about a month ago.

"They had gone to the residence to talk to her (Stewart). The nephew came to the door and he said he would handle the late payments," she said.

Channel 2’s Nicole Carr spoke to a family member who said they family had been worried about Stewart and had been asking people at her church about her whereabouts.

Cox Media Group