Man accused of keeping dead friend’s body, dumping it

CANTON — When a man found that his friend had overdosed, he kept the body in his home for at least a day, then drove it to a church parking lot and left it, according to police and court records.

Michael E. Mcgee, 61, of 1108 Piedmont Ave. NW, was arrested at 3 p.m. Tuesday at his home on a felony charge of gross abuse of a corpse, Stark County Jail records show.

Police Capt. Dave Davis said officers were called at 5:45 a.m. Sunday to St. Anthony’s Church at 11th Street and Rennick Avenue SE. There they found a 51-year-old Sugarcreek man hanging out of the rear passenger door of his blue Toyota. Two passers-by had reported seeing the vehicle with its door open.

Michael A. Hoffeditz, 51, was reported dead at 7:09 a.m. Sunday, Davis said.

In a news release Wednesday, Davis said detectives investigating the death went to Mcgee’s home. Mcgee told them Hoffeditz had come Friday to do drugs.

Jail records show Mcgee kept the dead body in his home for at least a day.

(Mcgee) stated the next morning, he found the victim deceased due an apparent overdose. Mcgee stated that the deceased victim remained at his residence until he loaded the victim in the victim’s vehicle and drove him to his place of discovery the next morning,” Davis said in the release.

The Stark County coroner’s office has not determined the cause of Hoffeditz’s death, Davis said.

Stark County court records show Mcgee is free on bond awaiting trial after two Stark County grand jury hearings resulted in indictments.

He was arrested in March on a robbery charge and released from jail after posting a $50,000 bond, court records show. And he was arrested on May 31 on charges of felony assault, heroin possession and illegal conveyance of weapons or drugs into a detention facility. He was released from jail after posting a $50,000 bond June 10 and indicted. A hearing had been set for Aug. 2.