May 30, 2021- 7:22 p.m.
A 35-year-old Arizona man killed his 64-year-old female roommate last November, dumped her body in a duffel bag in a storage unit and took her car and made withdrawals from her bank account for the past nine months, police say.
Brett Daniel Puett, 35, was arrested Friday and booked into jail on suspicion of second-degree murder, abandonment and concealment of a dead body and fraud in the death of Debra Lynn Childers, 64, Kingman City Police Chief Rusty Cooper said.
It is believed the pair had a platonic relationship, and met last summer while they were both living in their cars.
They had been sharing a motel room last September in the 3200 block of East Andy Devine Ave, Kingsman, when Childers was shot and killed, police say.
It was only after her son reported her missing to the Mohave County Sheriff’s Office on May 12 that the alarm was raised.
Authorities searched two storage units in the 3100 block of Harrison St in the city that belonged to Childers on Friday, May 28.
That was when the Kingman Police Department made the grisly discovery that Childers’ body had been placed in a duffel bag and left in a storage unit.
According to police, Puett has admitted involvement in Childers’ death and using her card to withdraw cash.
In a statement, the Kingsman Police Department said they became concerned for Childers’ welfare after detectives realized someone had been making cash withdrawals from her bank accounts.
During the ensuing investigation, detectives determined Puett had been driving around in Childers’ car.
Becoming increasingly concerned for Childers’ welfare, they executed a search warrant on Friday on two storage units belonging to her.
‘Once inside detectives located a dead body believed to be Debra Childers,’ Kingsman Police said in a statement.
‘The body had been concealed in a large duffle bag and appeared to have been inside the storage unite for several months.’
Investigators said they are awaiting formal confirmation of the body from the Mohave County Medical Examiner’s Office, but believe it belongs to the missing woman.
Childers’ family has been notified.
‘Puett has admitted involvement in the killing and subsequent money withdrawals, as well as transporting and concealing her body,’ the police said.
Puett has been booked into the Mohave County Adult Detention and no additional suspects are being sought.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Kingsman Police Department detectives.
