As his mother lay dead in the Loyalsock Township apartment they shared in mid-February, Roosevelt Short, 26, went about “his daily activities without making anyone aware of her death” or making any effort to notify authorities, state police alleged in an affidavit. On the morning of Feb. 16, state troopers were called to the apartment in the 2000 block of East Third St. to investigate a report of a woman found deceased by a home health aide, it was stated in an affidavit. It was clear to a criminal investigator at the scene that the woman had been dead “for a considerable amount of time, at least 24 to 36 hours,” the court document stated. The woman died of natural causes, police said.

When initially questioned by investigators, Short claimed he only realized his mother was dead after he was awakened by the home health aid that same morning, police said. “He held to this version of events for some time before finally admitting he knew as early as Feb. 15 that his mother was dead, but he had no idea what to do about it. He was scared he would be homeless if he reported it,” the affidavit stated.

Through their investigation, troopers learned that Short and a female had allegedly smoked crystal methamphetamine in the apartment on Feb. 14. The female told investigators that when she showed up at the apartment that day, she saw Short’s mother lying on a bed. “Short told the female that his mother was sleeping and that she was fine,” according to the court document. In a telephone conversation with Short earlier the same day, Short initially told the female he “believed his mother was dead, but later in the same conversation, Short assured her that his mother was still alive,” police said, adding that methamphetamine was later found in the apartment when investigators executed a search warrant there.

Charged with abuse of corpse, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia, Short, now living at 1223 Isabella St., was held for court Monday on all three misdemeanors and released on $15,000 bail set by District Judge Gary Whiteman.