Man Charged With Flushing His Grandparents' Ashes Down The Toilet Held For Court
MCKEESPORT (KDKA) -- A man accused of flushing his grandparents' ashes down the toilet was held for court Monday.
Thirty-three-year old Thomas Wells, of Pittsburgh, tried to hide his face from KDKA's camera and had no comment Monday following a preliminary hearing before District Magistrate Eugene Riazzi.
He ordered that Wells be held for trial on two counts of abuse of a corpse and a single count of criminal mischief.
The incident that led to his arrest happened at his mother's home on Walnut Street in McKeesport.
She told police that her son was staying at her home for a brief period of time.
But, they had confrontation and she wanted him out. She told McKeesport Police, "all he wanted to do was to smoke marijuana and drink alcohol."
Wells' mother said that after her son left the residence, she found out through a relative that he flushed the ashes of her late mother and father down the toilet. She said she kept the ashes in a box in a bedroom, where she had set up a memorial.
After learning the ashes were missing, she said she asked her son about them, and he denied doing anything wrong.
But, then, she got a text message from him.
According to the criminal complaint, the text read, "Yup, and as soon as you die, you'll be in the s****er, you b****."
No trial date was set.
