Pair hid friend's body in closet for days after overdose, police say


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PROVO — Police arrested two people accused of hiding their friend's body inside a closet after he suffered a fatal drug overdose earlier this month.

Dallas Joe Juggert and Mary Loueze Mace, both 20, hid the body of Anthony Tanner, 22, after Tanner overdosed on April 7, Provo police said in a statement.

Six days later, on April 13, officers received a call about Tanner's body and found it in a closet at the Castlebrook Condominiums, 1439 W. Arthur Drive. Provo Police Sgt. Nisha King declined to provide the exact address of the residence but said the owner there is being cooperative with the investigation.

When Tanner overdosed, Juggert called his sister and said "he was scared to report it because they had been using drugs and he was trying to regain custody of his son," a police affidavit filed in 4th District Court states.

"Furthermore, he told his sister that he had reached out to an individual, whose alias is 'Cupcake,' that has a 'cleanup' crew," the affidavit states. "'Cupcake' and his crew were going to dispose of the body and any evidence."

After days of looking for the two, police discovered Juggert and Mace early Friday at the Valley Inn Motel in Provo, where they "had been staying in a room unlawfully," according to the report.

Mace, of Provo, gave police a false name and denied that anyone else was in the motel room, the affidavit states. Police reported finding marijuana and meth paraphernalia in the room.

The two were booked into the Utah County Jail for the investigation of abuse or desecration of a dead human body, obstruction of justice, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. No formal charges had been filed as of Friday. Juggert was listed as a transient.

Police do not consider Tanner's death a homicide, King said, but believe Juggert and Mace panicked.

"I would just hope that if someone were in a similar circumstance, (they should) not be afraid to call police or request emergency assistance," King said. "If somebody needs medical help … we're not there for narcotics, we're there to save someone's life. We don't want anybody to be hesitant to call 911 for any reason. It doesn't matter the circumstance."

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