Nacedah, USA - The man charged in connection with the death of a 90-year old Necedah woman makes his first appearance in court today. 57-year-old Alan Bushey faces charges of causing mental harm to a child for his responsibility in allowing the woman's body to decay in the bathroom of a Necedah home.
Prosecutors say Bushey is the leader of his own self-proclaimed religious order, and practices under the alias Bishop John Peter Bushey. According to authorities, Bushey instructed 35-year-old Tammy Lewis to keep the body of 90-year-old Alvina Middlesworth after she died in the bathroom of Lewis' Necedah home. Lewis was living there with her two kids, a 15-year-old girl and 12-year-old boy. After Middlesworth died, Bushey told Lewis to pray and that "God would raise her from the dead". Prosecutors are discrediting Bushey's religious reasoning, rather linking his actions to that of a cult.
"Based on the fact we have effectively a dead body in a house in a local residence for over 2 months at his discretion, I believe any objective person would say that not normal religious practice," says Juneau County District Attorney Scott Southworth.
Prosecutors are also looking to file charges of hiding a corpse and theft by fraud, as Bushey and Lewis were also allegedly collecting Middlesworth's social security checks and an annuity. "Because we have evidence they were collecting from the deceased social security as well as annuity after her death, that would constitute a crime in the states opinion. One can not commit a crime and hide behind their religious belief to avoid criminal prosecution," Southworth adds.
Bushey is now being held on a ten thousand dollar cash bond. He is scheduled to be back in court Thursday, May 29th.
Lewis is also facing charges of causing mental harm to a child and resisting or obstructing an offer but no court date for her has been set.