Kathryn ‘the butcher’ Podgurski held over death and dismemberment of boyfriend in Mass; ‘When I opened the bag, his foot popped up’ – victim’s niece
Family going to collect dead man’s belongings find his dismembered parts in a backpack at the apt he shared with his girlfriend
Kathryn Podgurski, charged with killing her boyfriend Joseph Shaw, 44, in Brockton, Massachusetts, last week
Shaw’s family had reported him missing on July 17
Pordguski, 33, allegedly stabbed him more than 30 times, leaving him to bleed to death
She butchered her boyfriend and hid his body in a closet in their apt for six days, then told police he died during a botched home invasion
However, Shaw’s family went to his home on July 24, to collect his belongings and found several of his limbs in backpacks ‘in plain sight’
Police said they later found Shaw’s body in a closet on Friday and he had been dead for a significant period of time
Podgurski was arraigned in court on Monday and held without bail
Members of Joseph Shaw’s [left], family went to collect his belongings only find his limbs in a backpack ‘after he was allegedly, murdered and mutilated by his girlfriend Kathryn Podgurski, [right]
The family of murdered man Joseph Shaw, 44, found his limbs in several bags when they went to collect his belongings from his home in Brockton, Massachusetts on Monday.
His girlfriend Kathryn Podgurski, 33, is accused of stabbing Shaw more than 30 times, hiding his body in a closet and telling police he died during a botched robbery last week.
The missing limbs of a man allegedly murdered and mutilated by his girlfriend were found by his family in several bags when they went to his home to collect his belongings, reports the Boston Herald.
Kathryn Podgurski, 33, faced court in Brockton, Massachusetts on Monday charged with the murder of 44-year-old Joseph Shaw.
Podgurski is accused of stabbing her boyfriend more than 30 times, hiding his body in a closet and telling police he died during a botched robbery last week.
The pouting face of a killer: Kathryn Podgurski is accused of stabbing Joseph Shaw more than 30 times, hiding his body in a closet and telling police he died during a botched robbery last week
Podgurski was arraigned on murder charges in Brockton, Mass. [photo] on Monday
At Podgurski’s arraignment on Monday, Assistant District Attorney Richard Linehan said the victim, Joseph Shaw, was last seen at a family party on July 15 or 16. He had been upset Podgurski had told him she was pregnant, according to a police report,
The suspect claimed two men broke into the apartment, trying to rob Shaw and her for drugs or money, and that Shaw had gotten “loud” during the confrontation, and that one of the men had stabbed him with her knife and told her not to call the police, the police report said.
She also told investigators her boyfriend’s body was in the closet, next to the refrigerator, for six days, the report said.
Alleged ‘butcher’, Kathryn Podgurski, confers with her attorney through a screen in Brockton, Massachusetts court on Monday
Blindsided: Shaw’s family were in the courtroom on Monday but were not aware he had been mutilated until blood-chilling details were revealed by prosecutors.
Jacinda told the Boston Herald some shocked family members went back to the victim’s apartment following the court hearing to collect his belongings.
They noticed a backpack in Shaw’s room with some blood near the zipper.
‘It was heavy, and when I opened it, his foot popped up,’ she said.
‘We dumped it out on the bed, and there was another bag that we assume was his arm. We couldn’t figure out why the police didn’t find it. It was in plain sight.’
Uncontrolled grief: Shaw family shock and grief spilled out to the hallways of the courthouse on Monday.
Some members of the victim’s family needed to be held up after the horrific revelations.
Podgurski, 33, faced court in Brockton, Massachusetts on Monday. A spokesperson from the Plymouth District Attorney’s office confirmed a family member had found what appeared to be Shaw’s missing limbs in a bag.
The Plymouth District Attorney said a relative of Podgurski called police on Friday and related the story apparently pitched by the suspect, that some men had killed Joseph Shaw in the process of robbing her and victim at their apartment.
Police found Shaw’s decomposing body — its right arm severed below the elbow and left leg severed below the knee — beneath plastic bags and a wet comforter, Linehan said. The floor of the closet was covered in kitty litter, which apparently had been used to absorb the blood, he said.
Although the medical examiner found more than 30 stab wounds on Shaw’s body, none of them was immediately fatal; instead he “bled out.” He had been dead a significant period of time.
The victim’s family had reported him missing a week earlier on July 17.
The remains were sent to the medical examiner’s office.
Family members set up a candlelight vigil for Shaw near his home after his body was found
Podgurski’s arraignment in Brockton District Court on Monday, only served to exacerbate the grief felt by the victim’s family. Shaw’s family were in the courtroom on Monday, but completely unaware he had been mutilated until the gruesome details were revealed by prosecutors.
Podgurski had a prior arrest on assault charges, records show, and was still on probation in that case. After her arraignment, Monday, she is being held without bail.
She is scheduled to appear in court August 24.
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