Austin men accused of accidentally strangling woman they thought had overdosed, hiding her body: prosecutors

Two roommates are accused of accidentally strangling a woman to death last week when they tried to hide her body, believing she had overdosed on drugs at their Austin apartment.

Charles Perry, 58, and W.B. Bolton, 64, were each charged with involuntary manslaughter and concealment of a death for the Oct. 18 death of Tyrina Phipps, 57, court records show. Bolton was ordered held on $50,000 bond at a hearing Thursday, while Perry was ordered held on $10,000 bond.

Early Oct. 18, Phipps and Perry allegedly went back to the apartment Perry shared with Bolton in the 4900 block of West Hubbard Street, where Phipps did drugs while Perry fell asleep, according to the Cook County state’s attorney’s office.

When Perry woke up, he found Phipps slumped over, and after trying and failing to wake her up, asked Bolton to help him carry her outside, prosecutors said. The two men then allegedly dragged Phipps’ body to an empty lot next to their home, where she was discovered by passers-by about 7:45 a.m.

An autopsy ruled that Phipps died by strangulation and ruled her death a homicide, prosecutors said, accusing Perry and Bolton of dragging Phipps’ body by the collar of her hoodie and the lanyard around her neck.

Perry and Bolton both admitted to the narrative of events in statements they made after being read their Miranda rights, according to prosecutors. Additionally, nearby police surveillance and neighbors’ doorbell cameras allegedly show the pair carrying a body out of their front door, wearing the same clothing they had on when they were arrested.

The medical examiner’s office ruled that all of Phipps’ injuries were suffered before her death, prosecutors said.

Both men are due back in court Nov. 9.

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