Derrick Bouffard, 37, allegedly ordered food delivery and walked past his mother’s decomposing body for at least a week before reporting her death, according to authorities
NEED TO KNOW
- Cynthia Bouffard, 70, was found dead in her Pennsylvania home on Oct. 26, 2025, after concerns about the property prompted a welfare check
- Authorities allege her son, Derrick Bouffard, 37, lived with her body for about 7–10 days, but told police he was “just about to call you guys”
- Officials said she died of medical causes; he is charged with abuse of a corpse and is due in court April 8
A Pennsylvania man allegedly lived for days with his mother’s decomposing body in their home — before telling police he was “just about to call” them about her death.
Derrick Bouffard, 37, is now charged with abuse of a corpse after authorities say he continued living in the Bensalem home as his mother’s body remained there for more than a week, according to the Bucks County Courier Times, NBC10 Philadelphia and WPVI.
Police went to the home on Hunter Court around 3 p.m. on Oct. 26, 2025, after concerns about the property — including an overgrown lawn and a foul odor — prompted a welfare check, per the outlets.
The police claim that Bouffard answered the door and told officers, “I was just about to call you guys. My mom stopped breathing this morning,” according to an affidavit reviewed by the outlets.
Inside, officers said they found the body of his 70-year-old mother, Cynthia Bouffard, lying on a mattress in the first-floor family room. Investigators described her remains as “skeleton-like” and said she appeared “dead for longer than a few hours,” police wrote.
“There was almost no flesh on her bones, and her eyes were barely visible,” officers wrote in a report at the scene, adding that insects covered her body, according to the local outlets.
The home was in disarray, with a strong odor of decomposition, insects present and multiple fans placed throughout, authorities said. Baking soda had also been spread on surfaces, the police claimed, apparently to reduce the smell.
An autopsy later determined she had likely been dead at least seven days before she was discovered, though WPVI reported it may have been closer to two weeks.
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Per the affidavit, the authorities claim that Bouffard continued ordering food delivery to the home during that time and would have had to walk past his mother’s body each time he went to the door.
His phone history also included searches about how to report a death and when to notify a bank, the outlets reported, citing court documents describing the police investigation.
Family members told investigators Cynthia Bouffard suffered from advanced dementia and could not walk or talk, and that her son had been her primary caregiver.
The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office said the medical examiner determined she died of medical causes and did not appear to have been denied food, according to WPVI.
Bouffard has been charged with abuse of a corpse and is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on April 8.
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