FREELAND, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A man is being charged after police say he moved another man's body out of an apartment, leaving him outside of the building.
According to the Freeland Police Department, investigators began looking into the death of Matthew Tanner, whose body was found unresponsive in front of a building known as the "Cottage Hotel" on October 14, 2022, in Freeland.
After further investigation, detectives issued a search warrant for video evidence from the apartment building.
The video evidence was reviewed on April 19, 2023, and investigators say they saw Joseph Siko, 59, of Kingston, dragging Tanner's apparent unresponsive body by the wrists into the hallway.
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As stated in the affidavit, Siko is then seen dragging Tanner's body down a stairwell, through the exit door, and down the porch steps to the sidewalk.
Police stated Siko did not appear to attempt to render aid to Tanner or call 911 to request EMS for help. Investigators believe by Siko moving Tanner's body, he hampered efforts to determine what caused Tanner's unresponsive condition.
Officers noted when police responded to Tanner's body discovery, a bystander told them he had a history of narcotics use.
Siko has been charged with abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and recklessly endangering another person.
