A man faces a charge of abuse of a corpse after authorities discovered his mother’s decomposing body in October 2025.
On Oct. 26, 2025, police went to a home to conduct a welfare check, NBC Philadelphia reports. The Bensalem Public Works Department had alerted them after noticing suspicious conditions while cutting an overgrown lawn. A neighbor also reported a foul odor coming from the residence, according to Penn Live.
When officers arrived, 37-year-old Derrick Bouffard came out of the home and said he was about to call them because his mother had stopped breathing that morning.
Court documents obtained by NBC Philadelphia state that officers found the body of Bouffard’s 70-year-old mother, Cynthia Bouffard, lying on a mattress in the family room. The body appeared to have been decomposing for more than a week. Investigators noted flying insects inside the home, fans set up to circulate the odor, and a strong smell of decomposition. They also found a freezer filled with spoiled food and insects.
According to the documents, Cynthia Bouffard’s body was skeletal with very little flesh remaining and weighed an estimated 50 to 60 pounds. An officer at the scene reported that her eyes were barely visible.
NBC Philadelphia reports that Bouffard served as his mother’s primary caretaker. She reportedly had dementia and could not walk or speak. Family members last saw her alive in September 2025.
Investigators later found that Bouffard had searched online for how to report the death of a loved one. Authorities allege he ordered food deliveries daily and had to pass by the body each time he collected them, NBC Philadelphia reports. Police charged him with abuse of a corpse on March 6 and took him into custody.
An autopsy completed in February determined that Cynthia Bouffard had likely been dead for seven to 10 days before authorities found her. Officials did not release her exact cause of death. Law & Crime reports that the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office said she died from medical issues.
Bouffard’s sister, Carrie Acevedo, said she had urged her mother to move in with her, but Cynthia Bouffard refused to leave her son. According to WPVI, Acevedo said her mother never received a formal dementia diagnosis, but family members believed Derrick Bouffard was caring for her since he lived with her. She said, “It feels like a movie. It doesn’t feel like it’s real life. I feel regret for not being there, for not doing more.”
According to her obituary, Cynthia Bouffard had worked as a nurse since 1983. She loved dogs, plants, traveling, skiing, and racquetball. The obituary reads, “Cynthia was a fiercely independent, strong-willed woman, proud of her resilience and ability to stand on her own. Her family takes comfort in knowing she is now at peace and reunited with her daughter. Cynthia’s strength will never be forgotten, and her family hopes that her story will bring awareness to the importance of compassion, vigilance, and care for our elders.”
According to NBC Philadelphia, Bouffard is scheduled to appear in court on April 8 for a preliminary hearing.