CT Mom's Dismembered Body Found In Bags; Arson Charge For Son: PD

WEST HAVEN, CT — A woman found dead in March in West Haven was dismembered, her badly decomposed body found in more than a dozen garbage bags — and her son has been charged with attempted arson, police said at a news conference Friday.

According to West Haven police, who spoke at the media briefing, in March, a missing person was found dead in West Haven.

Police responded around 6:30 p.m. on March 24 to a home in the area of Ocean Avenue near Jones Hill Road on a report of a missing person and welfare check.

Arriving officers were met by the complainant, who let them into the house, according to Sgt. Scott Allard.

The reported missing person was found dead after officers checked the apartment, according to Allard. West Haven detectives arrived and assumed control of the investigation,

“Evidence is being collected to cover all aspects of the case, should it develop into a criminal investigation,” Allard wrote in an email in March.

On Friday, police said at the media briefing, posted by NBC Connecticut, an "extensive investigation" revealed that the woman's body parts were in about 14 garbage bags; evidence of attempted arson was also found, police said.

The woman found was identified as Tina Lloyd, 70, police said. Her son, Theodore Lloyd, 27, was arrested and charged with attempted arson, police said.

The woman's body had been at the location for about two months and was severely decomposed, police said; DNA helped with the identification of her remains, officials said.

Police said additional charges are expected.

Officials said, in the media briefing, that an older son had called in the welfare check because neither he nor his mother's landlord had seen her or heard from her for about two weeks to a month.

In addition, Theodore Lloyd had been seen leaving Walmart with "a lot of items concealed in plastic bags," including "cutting utensils and an electric chainsaw," police said. About 30 bags in total were found at the home; most of the evidence was found on the second floor, police said.

In addition, police found paper and lighter fluid, "set up to catch on fire," police said.

Lloyd is being held on $1 million bond, according to NBC Connecticut.

With reporting by Vincent Salzo.