Clerk Throws Corpse of 96-year-old Woman Who Committed Suicide Into Dumpster With the Help of a Mother and Son Delivering Newspapers After Mistaking it for Mannequin – Thought it was April Fools Prank…

They say truth is stranger than fiction. Actually they didn’t say it. Mark Twain said it. They may have said it later, but he said it first. The following story is undoubtedly an example of Twain’s theory.  Hopefully, I didn’t give too much away in the headline. 

Strange: According to St. Petersburg Police, a 96-year-old woman, reportedly suffering from depression, committed suicide by jumping from the window of her 16th floor apartment at the Petersborough Apartments for Seniors.  Police say the body was discovered around 4 a.m. on Wednesday by a 61-year-old desk clerk who was on a smoke break in the parking lot. Police say the deceased left a suicide note in her apartment. 

Stranger: According to Police, the clerk initially thought it was a mannequin spattered with fake blood, placed in the parking lot as part of an April fool’s prank, so he simply returned inside and went back to work. A couple hours later, a different employee spotted the body and reported it to the clerk. He assured his fellow employee it was a prank, according to police.  Shortly thereafter, the clerk decided to dispose of the “mannequin.” 

Beyond Strange: Once outside, the clerk flagged down a mother and son who happened to be delivering newspapers nearby. The clerk, mom and her teenage son lifted the body and put it in a dumpster where it was discovered at about 8 a.m. by an apartment maintenance worker who realized the body was human. 

Police did not suspect any foul play according to a released statement: 

“It appears at this point that the desk clerk earnestly believed that victim’s body was that of a mannequin and that blood found at the scene was faked as part of an elaborate practical April Fools joke. Consequently no criminal charges will be filed.”

Beyond Strange (Continued): Police say darkness my have caused the initial confusion, along with the fact they believed the body was “distorted from the impact and rigor mortis had most likely set in.”

With respect to the clerk and the newspaper delivery team of Mom and son, a police spokesman said, “Most people that are looking at this are going to assume that these people are all fools, but honestly it does appear that this was just an honest mistake.” 

Personally I don’t they’re fools, although, after a little research, I discovered that even plus sized mannequins only weigh in at about 39 pounds.