Police say a welfare check led to the discovery at an apartment on Dragonwyck Drive in north St. Louis County.
ST. LOUIS — A 49-year-old man has been charged after officers conducting a welfare check found his roommate dead in a north St. Louis County apartment on Jan. 21, authorities said. The woman’s body was discovered on a living room couch, covered by blankets and clothing.
Prosecutors charged Terrance Smith with abandonment of a corpse after detectives said the woman had likely been dead for weeks inside the unit on the 8800 block of Dragonwyck Drive. Neighbors told investigators they had not seen her since mid-December, and a final social media post was dated Dec. 15. The case surfaced publicly after relatives told local reporters the body was left inside the apartment for more than a month, raising questions about welfare checks and tenant safety in the complex. Authorities have not released the woman’s name while medical officials determine cause and manner of death.
Police said they went to the apartment shortly after noon Jan. 21 at the request of a relative and the property manager. Inside, officers found the woman on the couch beneath several layers of coverings. A probable-cause statement said she “displayed signs of decomposition, no pulse, and was cold to touch,” and she was pronounced dead at 12:45 p.m. that day. “Crimes Against Persons detectives are handling the investigation,” the department said. Smith was not at the unit when police first arrived, according to the statement, but investigators noted personal items that indicated he lived there.
Investigators later learned Smith had been seen at the apartment the night before the welfare check and returned again on Feb. 2, when leasing staff notified police, according to charging documents. Officers arrested him that day. Prosecutors said Smith admitted he lived with the woman. A judge set bond at $100,000 cash-only, with no 10% option. Authorities have not said how the woman died or how long she had been deceased before officers entered the home. Detectives are reviewing timelines from neighbors, relatives and phone and social media records to clarify the days leading up to the discovery, police said.
Public records show the address on Dragonwyck Drive is part of a cluster of multi-unit garden apartments in unincorporated north St. Louis County. Police logs indicate periodic calls for welfare checks at complexes across the county, a routine request when family or property managers can’t reach a resident. In past cases, prosecutors have used the state’s abandonment-of-a-corpse statute when a death occurs and someone is accused of concealing or failing to report the body. The charge does not by itself allege homicide; it is often filed while medical examiners work to determine cause and manner of death or when evidence does not support a more serious count.
Officials said the St. Louis County Medical Examiner is conducting tests, and the woman’s identity will be released once next of kin are notified. The Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said additional charges could be considered if new evidence emerges from autopsy findings or digital records. Court filings show Smith is scheduled for an initial appearance this week, with prosecutors expected to outline the conditions of release if bond is posted. Detectives are seeking surveillance video, rental records and phone data to build a fuller timeline from mid-December through the Jan. 21 welfare check and the Feb. 2 arrest.
Outside the building, neighbors described a steady stream of patrol cars on the day of the welfare check and said they were unsettled to learn the body may have been inside for weeks. Relatives who contacted authorities said they requested the check after calls went unanswered and rent fell past due. “We just needed someone to open the door,” a family member said, recalling the wait for confirmation. A tenant who lives across the courtyard said management posted notices after the police search and that officers returned when the suspect came back to the complex days later.
As of Thursday, police said the investigation remains open while lab results are pending. A preliminary court setting is expected in the coming days. Officials said they would release the woman’s name and additional details once the medical examiner finishes identification and next-of-kin notifications.
Author note: Last updated February 5, 2026.