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Man lived with mother's decomposing body, lied about her whereabouts: SPPD

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Published  April 9, 2025 8:41am EDT
St. Petersburg
FOX 13 News

The Brief

    • St. Petersburg police say Michael Moulton lived at a home with the body of his 92-year-old mother, Susan King, badly decomposed inside.
    • Police say Moulton claimed King was visiting a friend, but a search of the home the next day uncovered her remains.
    • King's body showed no signs of foul play or trauma, according to police.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - St. Petersburg police are investigating after they say a man had been living with his elderly mother's decomposing body inside a home.

The backstory:

The St. Petersburg Police Department says a landlord called on Sunday, April 6 to check on Susan King, 92, who had not had any contact with the landlord for several months.

Officers went to the home in the 5400 block of 2nd Ave. South and spoke to King's son, Michael Moulton, 67, who told them his mother was visiting a friend's home and would be back within a day or two.

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SPPD says officers returned to the home the next day and found King's body "in an advanced stage of decomposition."

Preliminary autopsy results showed no signs of foul play or trauma, according to police.

Mugshot of Michael Moulton. Courtesy: St. Petersburg Police Department.

Mugshot of Michael Moulton. Courtesy: St. Petersburg Police Department.

What's next:

Police detained Moulton on a warrant from 2013 for failure to appear on a theft charge.

SPPD says more charges could be filed as the investigation continues.

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The Source: This story was written using information from the St. Petersburg Police Department.

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