Man charged with placing dead body in trash can after overdose
A Butler man is facing charges after police said he placed his roommate in a trash can after he died from an apparent overdose.
Cavell Watkins, 64, of Butler, was charged with felony delivery of a controlled substance and misdemeanor abuse of a corpse after police allegedly found a corpse in a trash can inside his apartment.
Police said they received information regarding a dead body at 224 N. Main St., apartment 5 on Monday, June 29. Police said they performed a wellness check and met Watkins, who said nobody else was present and consented to a search.
Police said they located a Vogel trash can in the center of the kitchen and opened it to find a dead body inside. Watkins was immediately arrested and taken to the city police department.
Police interviewed a woman, who told them she knew the now-deceased man, later identified as Phillip Schiedel, and Watkins were both crack cocaine users who lived at the apartment.
She told police on the day of Schiedel’s death, she and Watkins left Schiedel alone in the apartment. A woman went to the EZ Stop while Watkins went to Butler Beer & Tobacco, where they met and returned to the apartment.
The woman told police that after returning, she immediately went to the bathroom where she heard Watkins saying “come on, man.” She said she walked into the bedroom to find Schiedel on the floor with his eyes and mouth hanging open.
The woman said Watkins told her to leave and she did.
A search warrant was conducted on the apartment and the Butler County Coroner’s Office took possession of Schiedel’s body, which was later identified by the Pennsylvania State Police Forensic Services Unit through fingerprints.
Police said Watkins told them in an interview that on Wednesday or Thursday he and the woman purchased crack cocaine for Schiedel and returned it to him before he and the woman left the apartment a second time.
Watkins told police he and Bowser were gone for about 40 minutes before returning and finding Schiedel unresponsive on the bed. He told police he attempted CPR but he and the woman left the apartment after realizing Schiedel was dead.
Police said Watkins told them he covered Schiedel’s body with a sheet, but due to the smell, he took a trash can from a building on East New Castle Street to put it in. He told police that he had no further plans regarding what to do with the body and said his actions stemmed from fear regarding Schiedel’s death.
Police said in a news release Tuesday the event is under active investigation and final toxicology results are pending.
Watkins is being held in Butler County Prison on a $100,000 bail. His preliminary hearing is set for 8:45 a.m. July 13 before District Judge William Fullerton.
Steve Goslaw, owner of Robert Stephens Custom Jewelers, said he believes his trash can was the one involved in the incident.
He said an employee reported Friday that one of the trash cans behind the store was missing. Goslaw assumed Vogel was replacing it, but he called and they told him they were not.
He said he and his wife checked the camera footage and saw a man around 7:30 a.m. Friday inspect the can and then wheel it away.
On Tuesday, Goslaw said police visited the store to report to him that they found his can.
“They told me that I’d probably not want it back because there was a dead body found inside,” he said.
Goslaw said he shared the camera footage with police who told him that the suspect was already in custody. He said the event was shocking and frightening but was glad police seemingly had a handle on it.
