BENSALEM, Pa. (TCN) — A man has been charged with abuse of a corpse in connection with the discovery of his mother’s decomposing body in October 2025.
On Oct. 26, 2025, police visited a home for a welfare check, NBC Philadelphia reports. They had received a call from the Bensalem Public Works Department reporting suspicious conditions they noted when they arrived to cut an overgrown lawn. In addition, a neighbor reported a foul odor coming from the home, Penn Live reports.
As officers arrived, 37-year-old Derrick Bouffard exited the home, saying that he was just about to call them because his mother had stopped breathing that morning.
According to court documents obtained by NBC Philadelphia, responding officers found the body of Bouffard’s mother, 70-year-old Cynthia Bouffard, on a mattress in the family room. She appeared to have been decomposing for over a week. There were flying insects in the home, fans throughout to circulate the odor, and a strong smell of decomposition. A freezer full of spoiled food and insects was also found on the property.
According to the court documents, Cynthia Bouffard’s body was skeletal, with hardly any flesh, and appeared to be between 50 and 60 pounds. Her eyes were hardly visible, according to an officer who responded to the scene.
Bouffard was his mother’s primary caretaker, according to NBC Philadelphia. She reportedly suffered from dementia and was unable to walk or talk. She had last been seen alive in September 2025.
An investigation found that Bouffard allegedly searched the internet on how to report the death of a loved one. He allegedly ordered food delivery each day and had to walk past the body each time to receive the deliveries, NBC Philadelphia reports. He was charged with abuse of a corpse on March 6 and taken into police custody.
An autopsy conducted in February concluded Cynthia Bouffard had likely been dead seven to 10 days before being found by authorities. Her cause of death was not released. Law & Crime reports Cynthia Bouffard died from medical issues, according to the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office.
Bouffard’s sister, Carrie Acevedo, said she begged her mother to come live with her, but Cynthia Bouffard would not leave her son behind, WPVI reports. Acevedo said her mother was never formally diagnosed with dementia, but she and other family members believed Derrick Bouffard was taking care of her because he lived with her. She said, “It feels like a movie. It doesn’t feel like it’s real life. I feel regret for not being there, for not doing more.”
According to her obituary, Cynthia Bouffard had worked as a nurse since 1983. She loved dogs, plants, traveling, skiing, and racquetball. The obituary reads, “Cynthia was a fiercely independent, strong-willed woman, proud of her resilience and ability to stand on her own. Her family takes comfort in knowing she is now at peace and reunited with her daughter. Cynthia’s strength will never be forgotten, and her family hopes that her story will bring awareness to the importance of compassion, vigilance, and care for our elders.”
According to NBC Philadelphia, Bouffard is scheduled to appear in court on April 8 for a preliminary hearing.
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