Police arrest Columbia man suspected of abandoning body

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

A Columbia man charged with abandoning a corpse has been arrested and booked into the Boone County Jail.

Sugar Ray Hibbler, 44, formerly of St. Joseph, Missouri, was booked into the jail early Tuesday on a charge of corpse abandonment, according to jail records. He also had a failure to appear warrant out of Buchanan County for child neglect.

Hibbler has a court appearance set for 1 p.m. Tuesday.

The circumstances of his arrest were not immediately available.

Prosecutors allege Hibbler left a drug overdose victim dead in a hotel room on Aug. 8, 2023, and didn't try to get help. The victim was found dead by hotel staff on Aug. 9, the statement says. No one else was in the room when staff entered, according to the statement.

Hibbler allegedly admitted to finding the victim dead between 5 and 5:30 p.m. Aug. 8, according to the statement. He claimed to use NARCAN and do CPR but did not call EMS. Hibbler allegedly said he went to grab someone else in another hotel room, who told him the victim was dead, the statement says. Police allegedly found video footage confirming that Hibbler left the room and came back with another man, the statement says.

Hibbler allegedly left the hotel the next morning with multiple bags and did not notify hotel staff, the statement says.