A man from Waukegan, Illinois, named Jose Luis Mendoza-Gonzalez, 52, has been charged with several serious offenses, including concealing a death, abusing a corpse, and obstructing justice, according to the Waukegan Police Department.
The charges follow the discovery of the body of Megan Bos, 37, in a container in Mendoza-Gonzalez’s yard. Bos had been reported missing from Antioch, Illinois, on March 9, and her body is believed to have been in the storage container for almost two months.
Mendoza-Gonzalez made his first court appearance on April 12. A Lake County judge described the situation as “very serious.” Despite the gravity of the charges, he was released on Level 4 pre-trial services monitoring, as he does not have a prior criminal record.
Police had spoken with Mendoza-Gonzalez at a local business on April 10. Reports indicate he had regular contact with Bos before her death. He expressed concerns about being arrested but did not provide a clear reason for his fear. Initially, Mendoza-Gonzalez told police that Bos had visited his home on February 19 and left afterward. He communicated with authorities in Spanish with the help of a translator.
During questioning, Mendoza-Gonzalez stated that Bos had overdosed on an unknown drug while at his home and then went to sit in his basement. After returning from repairing a pipe, he claimed to have found her dead. Fearing repercussions, he kept her body hidden in his basement for several days before transferring it to a storage container outside.
He also mentioned to police that he destroyed her phone after she passed away. An autopsy conducted on Bos’s body showed no signs of struggle or trauma, but further tests, including a toxicology report, are still underway, and the investigation continues.
