Arizona man killed girlfriend, lived with corpse: police

PHOENIX (Reuters) - An Arizona man who confessed to killing his girlfriend and living with her decomposing corpse in his one-bedroom apartment for two months has been arrested and charged with second degree murder, police said.

Erik C. Grumpelt, 35, was arrested on Monday, the Mesa Police Department said in a news release.

Police said he told them he had repeatedly struck his girlfriend, identified as Malinda Raya, 39, in the lower abdomen after she said she had cheated on him.

Officers discovered the dead woman in an advanced state of decomposition on the bedroom floor of the apartment, covered in several sheets.

There were several room fresheners found in the bedroom, and powder, believed to be carpet freshener, was sprinkled on the area around where the victim lay.

Grumpelt told investigators he assaulted Raya on the morning of May 19, striking her several times in the lower abdominal area while laying on their bed. He left for a short period of time and when he returned, she was unresponsive.

Grumpelt said he was angry because Raya had told him she had cheated on him with other men in his bed.

(Reporting by Tim Gaynor; Editing by Jerry Norton)