Man accused of living with sister s corpse dies

3/31/2009
ASSOCIATED PRESS

CROWN POINT, Ind. A man accused of killing his ailing sister and living with her decomposing body for six months has died as he was awaiting trial.

Lake County Police say 57-year-old John Zajic of Crown Point apparently died of natural causes after being transported to a hospital last week from the Lake County Jail.

Prosecutors charged Zajic with murder and a misdemeanor count of failure to report a dead body in the death of his 61-year-old sister, Mary Zajic.

Police found the body Feb. 20 after neighbors reported they could hear a dog whining in the house and had not seen Zajic or his sister for several weeks.

Zajic had told neighbors last fall that his sister had gone to visit relatives in Arizona.