Headless Body, Blood-Stained Home Lead To NJ Murder Charge: Court Docs

Editor's note: This article contains graphic information that some readers may find disturbing.

CAMDEN, NJ — Blood splattered from the second floor as detectives searched Carlos Acevedo's home. One day later, he closed his bank accounts and told coworkers he was traveling to Mexico for a family emergency, according to court documents.

Acevedo was under investigation for the death of Cathleen McGrath — a Haddon Township resident whose remains were found last month near an overpass in Camden, officials said. Her body was there for more than two weeks, and Acevedo's home stayed bloody for an entire month after McGrath's death, according to the criminal complaints into Acevedo's charges.

Acevedo, 53, was arrested Nov. 28 — the same day he closed his bank accounts — authorities said. He was charged with second-degree disturbing human remains and placed in the Camden County Correctional Facility. On Tuesday, the Camden man was charged with first-degree murder.

Read more about this case:

• Haddon Township Woman's Body Found In Camden: Prosecutor
• Man Killed Haddon Twp. Woman, Discarded Body In Camden: Prosecutor

His detention hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.

When McGrath's body was discovered Nov. 15, the circumstances around her death were a mystery. The charges against Acevedo and accompanying criminal complaints paint a timeline of the alleged killing and cover-up.

McGrath Goes Missing

McGrath, 26, was reported missing Nov. 1. Her family advised Haddon Township police that she was last seen about 2 p.m. Oct. 27.

Camden County police received a 911 on the afternoon of Nov. 15 about a body found outside in Camden. The remains were wrapped in duct tape and plastic bags near the overpass on 8th Street and Atlantic Avenue, according to court documents.

The manner of McGrath's death was homicide, according to Camden County's medical examiner. But Dr. Peter Mazari didn't determine how she was killed, since the victim was discovered headless, an affidavit states. It's unclear when or how her head detached.

McGrath's cause of death remains pending, according to a spokesperson for the Camden County Prosecutor's Office. The spokesperson declined to say whether the suspect and victim knew each other before the described events, stating that the investigation remains active.

The Case Comes Together

McGrath entered a Camden home at 8:33 p.m. Oct. 27, according to an investigative review of the Camden County Police Department's surveillance system. On the following night, the footage showed a man leaving the home while carrying a "large object" that was wrapped in black and clear trash bags, an affidavit says.

Detectives later determined that Acevedo was carrying McGrath's body.

The man then placed McGrath's remains in the back bed of a Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck, according to court documents. The vehicle then traveled to the area where her body was found, authorities said.

Investigators learned that Acevedo owned the home and the truck. The suspect was at home Nov. 27, when authorities executed a search warrant on the residence. He matched the description of the man who carried McGrath's body, according to court documents.

Blood At The Scene

During the search, detectives saw blood splatter at the top of the stairs and within a second-floor bedroom, an affidavit states. Investigators also detected blood in the bathtub and found black and clear plastic trash bags and black electrical tape.

Detectives later determined that McGrath and Acevedo had "telephone contact" before she was reported missing, an affidavit says.

A witness told investigators that he dropped off the pickup truck at the suspect's home on Oct. 28, according to court documents. Acevedo transported McGrath's body that evening, authorities said.

Video surveillance corroborates the witness's claim. The witness also indicated that Acevedo was in the process of leaving for Mexico, according to court documents.

Acevedo closed his bank accounts Nov. 28 to prepare for the move, authorities said. Detectives went to his workplace that day to obtain employment information. A coworker said that Acevedo arrived at work that morning and indicated he was going to Mexico for a family emergency, according to the criminal complaints.

Ongoing Case

The investigation is still active. Anyone with info regarding this case can contact Det. Michael Dons of the CCPO's Homicide Unit at 856-365-3125 and Det. Maria Bagby of the Camden County Police Department at 609-519-6947. Tips can also be sent to CAMDEN.TIPS.