Woman gets children to help dispose of husband’s mutilated body, police say

Wife facing murder charges says husband threatened children, who she got to help dispose of body

Thessalonica Allen is face multiple charges in connection to the murder of her husband and getting her children to help with the disposal of the body (La Porte County Police Department)

A woman in Indiana stands accused of killing her husband and getting her kids to help with the disposal of his body.

Prosecutors say that Thessalonica Allen, 34, shot and killed Randy Allen at their house in La Porte on 27 July. She has been charged with murder, abusing a corpse, altering a death scene, neglect and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of children.

The couple’s two children fled to their mother’s bedroom after a “loud bang” rang out, according to court documents seen by The South Bend Tribune.

They told authorities that they found Mr Allen lying on the floor, and he requested them to call the emergency services. Despite this, Ms Allen told them to return to their beds, the documents state.

According to the children, later that night Ms Allen woke them to get them to assist in getting Mr Allen’s body out of the house and into a vehicle. The children told investigators that they found the body too heavy to lift.

The children, who the documents state are under the age of 16, detailed to authorities that their mother arrived home with an axe and cleaning supplies. The body was stored in one of the children’s wardrobes, according to documents.

The documents go on to say that Ms Allen asked them to put Mr Allen’s dismembered body in a tote. Investigators were told that the bag was too heavy for the children to carry. Ms Allen wanted to take Mr Allen’s remains to South Bend and burn them, the documents state.

Ms Allen was questioned by officers from La Porte Police Department. In the interview, she outlined that she shot Mr Allen following a quarrel after it developed into a physical fight where she was choked by Mr Allen. She is believed to have told police that the fight broke out after the children said he had beaten them.

After the authorities searched the property, they uncovered notes that had messages that read “hit him with a hammer and stab him” and “roll up body in sheets and plastic bags”.

Members of Mr Allen’s family spoke out about the heartbreak upon discovering what happened to him.

“We’re devastated. This was a senseless murder that didn’t have to happen,” Sharon Colmen, his sister, told WBAY.

“When I was told, I just started screaming. I lost it. Can’t imagine what the kids are going through,” Mr Allen’s aunt, Patricia Blanton, told the same network.

According to reports from ABC7, an ex-partner of Ms Allen told police that she had also asked him for help for disposing of the body. After saying he would not help, Ms Allen drove him back home in Michigan. The former partner said that he kept a gun Ms Allen had thrown out of the window of the car and called emergency services.

Ms Allen is currently in La Porte County Jail and has not been offered to be let out on bond. Her next court appearance is Friday and she is expected to make a plea.