Man Hides Sister's Corpse In Home For 'Prolonged Period': Bergen Cops

BERGEN COUNTY, NJ — A man stands accused of hiding his sister's dead body in his home for a "prolonged period of time," according to authorities.

Mark Winters, 76, was charged Tuesday with desecrating the remains of his sister, Joan Winters, 70, who lived with her brother at his Westwood home, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said.

After police found the body lying in an upstairs bedroom, Mark Winters then tried to push an officer down the stairs away from the room, a complaint said. He also had allegedly tried to physically resist arrest when another officer tried to put him in handcuffs.

As a result, Winters, who was described as "confrontational," was also charged with aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, police records said.

Police discovered the woman's body, which was covered by shirts and garments, in responding Monday to a request for a welfare check from a neighbor, on top of multiple others in days prior, the complaint said.

At about 1 p.m., Mark Winters had allowed the officers to enter his Kennedy Terrace home. He had allegedly later told officers that "they" had covered the body, an affidavit said.

Although the cause and manner of Joan Winter's death are pending toxicology test results, a preliminary investigation revealed the death does not appear suspicious, the prosecutor's office said.

Mark Winters was remanded to the Bergen County Jail pending an initial court appearance, the prosecutor said.