Shannon Graves (above), 28, was last seen alive in February and was the girlfriend to Arturo Novoa, 31
An Ohio man stored his girlfriend's body in a freezer while another woman helped him and assumed the dead woman's life by moving into her home, using her credit cards and caring for her dog, police say.
Arturo Novoa, 31, and Katrina Layton, 34, were arrested by Youngstown police last weekend and being held on $1million bond each at the Mahoning County jail.
They are each charged with abuse of corpse in relation to a body being found inside of a home in nearby Campbell.
Authorities suspect the female body is a missing woman named Shannon Graves who was last seen alive in February and was the girlfriend of Novoa.
Police are awaiting official identification and information on the cause of death.
Youngstown Police Lt. Doug Bobovnik told WKBN they are investigating the case because they believe the body 'originated in the city of Youngstown and was taken to Campbell.'
Novoa (left), 31,and Katrina Layton (right), 34, were arrested by Youngstown police. They're accused of storing a woman's body in a freezer. An autopsy will be performed on the body found in the freezer to determine cause of death and identity
Youngstown Prosecutor Dana Lantz said Novoa was living in Graves' apartment with Layton (above) who allegedly began driving Graves' car, caring for her dog and using her cell phone
Novoa allegedly told a friend his electricity was out and that he needed to store a freezer, that was bought by Layton, in his basement at the property located in Campbell, WFMJ reported.
The freezer was padlocked, and the friend apparently had no idea that there was a body inside. He became suspicious about the contents of the freezer and discovered the remains inside before calling police.
Graves, 28, was added to the Ohio Attorney General's Missing Persons' website earlier this month after concerns about her well-being since she missed her birthday, Easter, and Father's Day.
'Shannon's friends called her Starr and descried her as having a heart of gold, an angel on earth, supportive, outgoing, thoughtful and fun,' Graves sister, Debbie DePaul, told WFMJ.
'Shannon has been missed and will always be missed. You can't replace a spirit like hers. She is loved by so many.'
Graves, 28, was added to the Ohio Attorney General's Missing Persons' website earlier this month after concerns about her well-being since she missed her birthday, Easter, and Father's Day. Her sister said it's unlike her to disappear without contacting anyone
She said it was unlike her sister to be gone for so long without contacting them.
Youngstown Prosecutor Dana Lantz said Graves' former boyfriend, Novoa, was living in her apartment with Layton who allegedly began driving Graves' car, caring for her dog and using her cell phone.
'The apartment on Mahoning Avenue, the lease is in the name of…what we believe to be the victim, Shannon Graves,' Lantz told Magistrate Anthony Sertick on Monday.
'(They) basically, assumed her life and her belongings.'
Bobovnik said no one has been charged with murder yet because there is still no cause of death.
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