Hiding corpse gets 3 years; Arkansas woman drew boyfriend’s Social Security

Gloria Tensley
Gloria Tensley

PARAGOULD -- A Paragould woman who hid her boyfriend's decomposing body in her home for a year to collect his Social Security benefits pleaded guilty to abusing a corpse and two counts of fraud Monday.

ADVERTISEMENT

More headlines

Greene County Circuit Court Judge Brent Davis sentenced Gloria Marie Tensley, 66, to three years in the Arkansas Department of Correction after she entered her plea. Tensley originally entered a plea of innocent when she was arrested in July.

Prosecuting Attorney Scott Ellington originally charged Tensley with eight counts of Social Security fraud, but withdrew six of those charges in exchange for her plea.

Paragould police said Tensley hid the body of her boyfriend, Clarence Shanowat, 78, in the bedroom of her home at 112 N. Fourth Ave. after he died in April 2015. An autopsy revealed Shanowat died of an illness and police did not suspect foul play.

Tensley told neighbors that Shanowat was an American Indian and that he was buried at a reservation in North Dakota, police said.

A roommate who lived in the home for about three months contacted police in July after he discovered Shanowat's body in a spare bedroom. Allen Traubaugh, 36, told authorities he noticed a "strange smell" coming from the bedroom. When he moved into the house last spring, Tensley told him never to go into that bedroom, police said.

Police found the skeletal remains of Shanowat's body on the floor. The head was covered with a blanket and lye was sprinkled on the body, police said.

Ellington said Tensley did not report Shanowat's death and continued to receive his Social Security benefits, which were directly deposited into his bank account.

State Desk on 11/15/2016

Upcoming Events