Dead body found in a Florida home, 67-year-old relative accused of murder and abuse of corpse

A 67-year-old woman in Florida has been arrested for second-degree murder after a dead body was found in her home.

Debra Pais Patton was taken into custody on May 31, according to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to a residence to check on a woman in her 60s who hadn’t been seen or heard from in days.

Patton was living at the home when her relative went missing. Following a search of the home, deputies found the body of an adult victim.

The medical examiner's office will determine the cause of death, according to the sheriff's office.

Patton originally faced a charge of abuse of a dead human body. She now faces additional charges of second-degree murder with a firearm.

“Through evidence, what they found in the home, outside of the home, they were able to determine that the victim was shot and she was shot with a firearm and as a result the suspect, in this case, her charges have changed,” Merissa Lynn, with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s office told WFLA.

Patton was initially held on a $5,000 bond for her initial charge. She will have a new bond hearing following the upgraded murder charge, according to WFLA.