A Florida caregiver is accused of dragging her special needs friend's body into a nature preserve and covering the remains with brush before falsely reporting the woman missing, authorities said.
Lori Hamilton, 60, was arrested last week and charged with disturbing a dead body in connection with the death of 58-year-old Brenda Corbin, according to the Cape Coral Police Department. Corbin had dementia and was under Hamilton's care.
Background
Hamilton served as caregiver for Corbin, who had dementia and previously lived in an assisted living facility in Tampa. The defendant held power of attorney over her longtime friend, whom she had known since high school. Hamilton checked Corbin out of the facility earlier in May 2025 to attend a celebration of life ceremony for a mutual friend but never returned her, allegedly because Hamilton was dissatisfied with the level of care at the nursing home.
Instead, Hamilton set up a bedroom for Corbin in her Cape Coral home. According to investigators, Corbin was reported missing on May 20, 2025, from Hamilton's residence in the 2700 block of SE 18th Ave.
The Investigation
When questioned by detectives about Corbin's disappearance, Hamilton claimed she believed her friend walked off during the middle of the night and may be with a man who years earlier "held her against her will for four days," according to a probable cause arrest affidavit. However, investigators noted Hamilton was vague when pressed for details about their activities in the preceding days.
"Hamilton could not explain what she and Brenda had done over the weekend," detectives wrote. "All she said was that they had gone out but did not remember where they went or what they did. Hamilton did not seem too concerned about Brenda's disappearance."
License plate reader data from Hamilton's pickup truck and cell phone location information painted a different picture, police allege. Cameras captured her vehicle in the early morning hours of May 19, 2025, traveling through Fort Myers and into the Punta Gorda area around 3:30 a.m.
A motion-sensored trail camera also recorded a pickup truck matching Hamilton's vehicle near the Babcock Ranch Preserve at that time, cops said. When confronted with this evidence, investigators stated Hamilton's "demeanor changed" and she stopped cooperating.
On May 23, 2025, authorities discovered Corbin's badly decomposed body covered with brush off an access road in a nature preserve. Drag marks in the grass led from the roadway to where the remains were found. An autopsy could not determine cause or manner of death due to decomposition. The body was also missing the lower leg and part of her left arm, which investigators attributed to animal activity.
Police seized Hamilton's truck, and K-9 units alerted to the smell of human remains, according to the affidavit. Investigators also recovered Corbin's Social Security card and medications inside the vehicle. When officers notified Hamilton of Corbin's death, she "looked down" and slowly backed into her home before shutting the door in their faces, police said.
During a recorded phone call between Hamilton and one of Corbin's adult children, detectives attempted to elicit incriminating statements. Hamilton insisted: "I haven't killed your mom. I would never."
Key Takeaways
- Lori Hamilton, 60, has been charged with disturbing a dead body in the death of Brenda Corbin, 58
- Hamilton was Corbin's caregiver and held power of attorney over her longtime friend who had dementia
- Police allege Hamilton dragged Corbin's body into Babcock Ranch Preserve near Punta Gorda on May 19, 2025
- The body was discovered three days later, badly decomposed and partially scavenged by animals
- License plate readers and cell phone data placed Hamilton's truck at the preserve around 3:30 a.m.
- Autopsy could not determine cause or manner of death due to decomposition
What's Next
Hamilton remains held at the Charlotte County Jail on $6,000 bond. Her next court appearance is scheduled for September 8. The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have not ruled out additional charges as the case develops.