- Kimberly Moore was arrested for abuse of a corpse and failure to report a death on July 11
- Her daughter's mummified body was found in a Memphis hotel room at Home Inn Suites
- The body showed signs of long-term decomposition and malnourishment, per the medical examiner
A Tennessee woman has been arrested after authorities found her daughter's mummified body in her hotel room. The decomposed body was found at the Home Inn Suites on Lowrance Road, Memphis, on July 11, according to a report. The court affidavit obtained by the PEOPLE stated that Kimberly Moore, 46, was arrested on July 11 on charges of abuse of a corpse and failure to report a death.
The incident came to notice after a hotel employee called the police to check on Moore, who claimed that her husband owned the hotel and she was there to ensure the employees were doing their jobs.
According to the affidavit, when Shelby County Sheriff's deputies examined Moore's room, they noticed a foul smell. When questioned, she declined, saying she didn't smell anything. Upon checking in the room, the police found her daughter, Chloe Moore, lying in the bed, who looked malnourished and had started to become mummified.
The medical examiner found the girl's body surrounded by flies and said that she had been dead for a long time. Due to the lack of moisture, her skin had darkened and her body had shrunk, according to the affidavit. Moore refused to give any statement.
During the investigation, she informed officers that her daughter Chloe was "still here with her and God is with her and her daughter." She refused to respond when deputies pressed her further, saying only that "God is with her and her daughter" and that "she reads her bible."
Detectives concluded that Moore was experiencing a crisis because she was hallucinating that her daughter was alive. According to the court documents, no criminal angle has been ruled out, as reported by Action News 5. Moore is scheduled to appear in court again on July 15.
