A 58-year-old Ohio man is charged with many felonies after reportedly murdering his live-in girlfriend, beating her to death at their home, and putting her body in a garbage can for more than a month before disposing of it in an elementary school dumpster.
A Cuyahoga County grand jury issued a true bill indicting James G. Drahos on one count of murder, gross abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, and domestic violence in the death of Tammy Dubuisson, authorities stated.
According to a county prosecutor’s office press release, Drahos and Dubuisson were believed to have shared a residence on West 139th Street and Sherry Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio, between May 15 and June 6, 2024. However, prosecutors claim that “on or about” May 23, 2024, the pair were in the driveway of the residence when Draho smacked her in the head, forcing her to fall to the ground.
After hitting Dubuisson, Draho allegedly walked back into the house, leaving her outside for eight to ten hours. He did not attempt to offer Dubuisson with medical assistance or call 911 for help.
“Dubuisson died from the assault and a lack of medical care after striking the ground,” police stated in a probable cause document.
Prosecutors say Drahos returned outdoors the next day and discovered Dubuisson’s body. Afterward, he allegedly “double-wrapped her body in construction trash bags and disposed of her in a garbage can outside their residence.”
Dubuisson was last seen alive on May 22 and reported missing on June 19, according to Cleveland’s Fox affiliate WJW.
Prosecutors claim that Draho let Dubuisson’s body to rot in the trash can for more than a month. On June 6, he is thought to have taken the body and “transported her in a wagon to a nearby elementary school.” According to the release, he subsequently disposed of Dubuisson’s body in a dumpster behind the school before fleeing.
On July 7, Draho and Dubuisson’s daughter visited her parents’ home, providing investigators with a break in the investigation. She found what appeared to be “bone fragments” in the driveway and called 911. The Cleveland Division of Police arrived on the scene and retrieved the fragments from the daughter. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office analyzed the bone pieces and determined they were “human remains.”
On July 9, authorities arrested and charged Drahos with aggravated murder.
“Questions regarding Tammy Dubuisson’s disappearance went unanswered for over a month,” Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley said in a statement. “With this indictment, our office is beginning to piece together the events of that tragic day, and we are taking the first step toward seeking justice for Tammy and her family.” “My thoughts and prayers are with them during this difficult time.”