Concord Corpse Abuse, Falsifying Physical Evidence Suspect Held After Connecticut Arrest

CONCORD, NH — The former owner of an Airport Road drug den with a lengthy criminal history who was accused of burying a dead body at his property has been held without bail after failing to appear in court in September 2024 and being caught in Connecticut.

In a bail hearing on Friday, Merrimack County Superior Court Judge John Kissinger Jr. held Todd Edward Spataro without bail after he was captured in New Haven, CT, about a month ago and brought back to New Hampshire this week. Spataro, 58, with no known address, was also held on $2,000 cash after a Thursday hearing in Concord District Court on a felony bail-jumping charge. He faces abuse of a corpse — accused of burying Anthony Meunier’s dead body at 58 Airport Road in 2023 after he overdosed and died, as well as two falsifying physical evidence charges. Spataro also faces six counts of acts prohibited, all felonies, from a separate case.

In superior court, Susan Venus, an assistant county attorney, requested Spataro be held without bail. She said he did not attend his court date in September 2024 while out on personal recognizance and $1,000 cash bail.

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“He was well aware of the hearing that he failed to appear for because the court issued an order at the prior hearing, indicating the date and time that the follow-up hearing would be at,” she said.

Spataro, Venus said, was found months later in Connecticut but does not have a permanent address in the state. She added there was no incentive for him to return to New Hampshire if he was freed on bail. At the time of his arrest, he was with his girlfriend, Venus said. She also said police in New Haven, CT, accused Spataro of calling his girlfriend during the booking process and telling her not to come back to New Hampshire.

“The importance of this, your honor, is that she was present with the defendant at the same residence here in Concord at the time of the charges,” she said.

Venus called the allegations Spataro buried Meunier in his yard on Airport Road “outrageous.”

Venus also noted Spataro failed to appear in other cases in superior court several times and had an extensive criminal history dating back to 1998.

Justin Hayes, a defense attorney, asked for personal recognizance, with conditions, to ensure he attends future hearings and public safety.

At the time of the last hearing, Hayes said, Spataro was homeless. He said while Spataro does not have an address and considered himself homeless, he had an email address and an address for his mail on 223 N. Main St. (after the hearing, Patch checked and found no home or mailing apparatus at the address Spataro’s attorney said he would be receiving mail). Hayes also said Spataro had a substance use disorder but was taking methadone for the last six months.

“Which, he indicates, works for him, which is great,” Hayes said.

Hayes said he did not know about Venus’ comments, but Spataro was held in Connecticut “for quite some time … well over a month” and brought back to New Hampshire a couple of days ago. He did not have any new charges in Connecticut, that anyone knew of, he said. Spataro also had adult children in Concord and Laconia, he said.

Kissinger thanked Hayes and then granted the state’s request to hold Spataro until the drug, corpse, and evidence charges were resolved. He called his criminal record extensive, going back decades, and he was arrested out of state after not appearing in court.

“That does give the concern, the court concern, about a flight risk the defendant poses,” Kissinger said.

A probable cause hearing will be held in Concord District Court on March 7, while a status conference on the corpse, evidence, and drug charges will be held on April 4 in Merrimack County Superior Court.

Other Updates

Two other people, Ryan Holton and Jocelyn Cote, were accused of being accomplices in the Meunier corpse incident.

Holton, 35, faces abuse of corpse and two felony evidence counts. He was indicted on the charges in September 2024. In October 2024, he was released on $1,000 cash bail.

On Feb. 12, the state requested to revoke his bail after he was accused of involvement in two burglary incidents. In September 2024, Holton was accused of burglary and theft by unauthorized taking-$1,501-plus, both felonies, as well as loitering, prowling, and criminal trespass after an incident in Hooksett. The case involved the theft of more than $4,600 of items stolen from Bass Pro Shops on Commerce Drive in Hooksett.

On Jan. 12, Jan. 14, and Jan. 16, Holton was accused of being involved in several incidents in Pembroke, including 11 counts of burglary, theft, criminal mischief, criminal trespass, and loitering and prowling. The case involved stolen copper cables, a computer, and tools from Michels Power Corporation on Sheep Davis Road.

On Feb. 18, Holton was held on preventative detention and sent back to jail. He is due back in court on April 3 for a dispositional conference on all his active charges.

Cote was arrested in mid-June 2024 on a single felony evidence charge and an abuse of corpse count. However, court personnel could not find updated information about the charges.

Among Cote’s case files is a single charge since 2008, a hearing a day after she was arrested in June 2024, connected to the Airport Road case, which occurred in February 2023 and June 2024. Sometime between the arrest and the hearing, the docket number was changed to “hindering apprehension-prosecution” from April 2023, which does not appear to be connected to the Airport Road case.

Cote pleaded not guilty to the single charge. On July 26, 2024, a motion was made to revoke her bail. After two bail hearings and several non-compliance reports, a trial date was set for Oct. 3, 2024, but Cote failed to appear and was found guilty by default. Her $1,000 cash bail was then confiscated and a bench warrant was issued against her.

Cote’s attorney withdrew from the case on Feb. 6.

Michaela O’Rourke of the city prosecutor’s office did not return an email seeking clarification about the charges against Cote before publication.

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