Page 13 - IAV Digital Magazine #584

Ex-security Guard Had Sex With Corpse Inside Phoenix Hospital Morgue
iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPe6HyEjRME
PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) -- A now-former Banner Health security guard is accused of having sex with a woman’s corpse last month at a Phoenix hospital. Officials con- firmed that 46- year-old Randall Bird was arrested on Tuesday.
On Oct. 24, Phoenix police were called to Banner University Medical Center Phoenix to inves-
tigate the crimes. Investigators say Bird worked as a security guard for the hospital. According to police, security guards are in charge of trans- porting dead bod- ies to the morgue and placing them inside a freezer. However, guards aren’t supposed to open the body bags; they only place them on the freezer shelves.
Video surveillance showed the 79-
year-old victim’s body arrived at the morgue on Oct. 22, when Bird was in charge of trans- porting her to the morgue, police said. Court docu- ments say two witnesses arrived at the morgue but found the doors locked from the inside, which was unusual. A light could be seen on the inside of the freezer, and the freezer door was cracked open.
The two witness- es reportedly saw Bird inside the freezer, where he was “sweating profusely” and “acting very nerv- ous.” Court paperwork states Bird had removed his duty belt, his zipper was open, and his uniform looked “messy.” Investigators say the victim’s body bag was unzipped, and she was facing down. Bird’s belt was also on top of the gurney,
where the victim’s body was.
Authorities say as the witnesses walked into the morgue, Bird immediately tried covering the vic- tim’s body. He then claimed that he had a medical episode and faint- ed, and grabbed the victim’s body as he fell, court paperwork states. Bird told the wit- nesses the body bag then tore open, and the zip- per broke, police
said. However, the witnesses dis- puted this claim to police, saying the bag and zip- per weren’t bro- ken. The two then reported Bird to their supervisor.
On Oct. 25, police interviewed Bird, who claimed he had a medical episode and couldn’t remem- ber what hap- pened, investiga- tors said. Crime scene investiga- tors collected evi- dence from the victim and Bird, and his DNA was found on the vic- tim.
He was taken into custody on Tuesday and booked on five counts of crimes against a dead person, a class 4 felony. In Arizona, those convicted of a class 4 felony often face between one to four years in prison for a first felony offense.
Officials con- firmed Bird no longer works at the hospital
iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine