A 58-year-old man in Ohio is currently being charged with a variety of felonies for the alleged murder of his live-in fiancée. The victim was allegedly beaten to death at their residence and subsequently stored in a garbage can for over a month before being disposed of in an elementary school dumpster.
Authorities have announced that a grand jury in Cuyahoga County has returned a true bill indicting James G. Drahos on one count each of murder, flagrant abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and domestic violence in the case of Tammy Dubuisson’s murder.
Between May 15 and June 6, 2024, Drahos and Dubuisson were believed to have shared a residence in Cleveland, Ohio, near West 139th Street and Sherry Avenue, according to a news release from the county prosecutor’s office. However, prosecutors allege that the couple was in the driveway of the residence when Draho struck her in the head, causing her to fall to the ground, on or about May 23, 2024.
Draho is purported to have returned to the residence after striking Dubuisson, abandoning her outside for eight to ten hours. He did not attempt to render medical assistance to Dubuisson or contact 911 for assistance.
In a probable cause affidavit, the police stated that Dubuisson passed away as a result of the assault and the absence of medical attention following his fall to the ground.
Prosecutors stated that Drahos returned to the exterior the following day and found Dubuisson deceased. He allegedly then “double-wrapped her body in construction trash bags and disposed of her in a garbage can outside their residence.”
According to WJW, the Cleveland Fox affiliate, Dubuisson was last observed alive on May 22 and was reported missing on June 19.
Draho is accused by prosecutors of abandoning Dubuisson’s corpse in the trash can for more than a month, allowing it to decompose. It is suspected that he removed the body on June 6 and “transported her in a wagon to a nearby elementary school.” He then disposed of Dubuisson’s body in a receptacle located behind the school and fled the scene, as stated in the release.
On July 7, investigators were granted an opportunity to investigate the case when the daughter of Draho and Dubuisson visited her parents’ residence. Upon her arrival, she discovered what appeared to be “bone fragments” in the driveway and immediately contacted 911.
The daughter’s fragments were collected by the Cleveland Division of Police, who responded to the scene. The bone fragments were tested by the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office, which affirmed that they were “human remains.”
Drahos was apprehended by authorities on July 9 and charged with aggravated homicide as per Lawandcrime.
“For more than a month, inquiries regarding Tammy Dubuisson’s disappearance were left unresolved,” stated Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley in a recent statement. ”
Our office is beginning to reconstruct the events that transpired on that tragic day with the issuance of this indictment, and we are taking the initial step to pursue justice for Tammy and her family.” During this challenging period, my thoughts and prayers are with them.
