Texas woman, daughter lived in apartment with decomposing body for weeks, police say

(KAUZ/Gray News) - A Texas woman was arrested after police say they found human remains in her apartment that had been decomposing for weeks.

Officers with the Electra Police Department said that they were sent to an apartment on Dec. 1 for a report of flies and a foul odor coming from a unit’s open window. After receiving no response after knocking on the door, officers entered the apartment and found a decomposing body in the hallway, according to an arrest affidavit obtained by KAUZ.

Police said Susan Que Smith then arrived back at her apartment with her young daughter and told officers that the dead body was her daughter’s father, Michael Albert Wiest.

Smith told police she had been living with Wiest’s decomposing body for three to four weeks without reporting his death because she didn’t want to be evicted; Wiest was not supposed to be at the apartment.

Police did not provide a cause of death for Wiest.

Officers also said the apartment was “unlivable.” In addition to the dead body, there were several open buckets of human waste that were being used as toilets due to not having running water. Officers said there was also rotting food and trash littering the apartment.

Smith was arrested and jailed on charges of child endangerment and tampering with evidence on Jan. 18. Her bond has been set at $7,500.

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