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Family Speaks Out After Woman’s Body Found on Porch

LOCK HAVEN — The man from Clinton County who told police he put his dead roommate’s body on her back porch was back in court on Tuesday. More than a...

LOCK HAVEN -- The man from Clinton County who told police he put his dead roommate's body on her back porch was back in court on Tuesday.

More than a year ago, when Teresa Hanna Hill went missing, her roommate Rodney Heaton told her family Hill had left and moved to New York.

Now that Heaton has been charged with stealing his roommate's identity, he's changing his story.

It's been about a week since Rodney Heaton admitted to police in Lock Haven he used his dead roommate's bank card and Access card. He says he did that after putting her body on her back porch where it stayed for over a year.

The coroner has not officially identified the body, but police believe the victim is Teresa Hanna Hill.

Family members shared a picture with Newswatch 16 and tell us most people may know her as Hanna.

According to court papers, Rodney told police that last year he came back to the apartment he shared with Hill after being away for a few days and found her dead. He wrapped her body in an air mattress, duct taped it, wrapped it in a carpet, and put the body on the back porch for 17 months.

We sat down with Hill's family and they tell us they reported Hill missing more than a year ago after Rodney Heaton told them Hill had moved without warning to New York.

A week before the body was found, Heaton was staying with the woman's family.

"He was buying food and what really makes me sick now is knowing that it was her card," said Heidi Ferree.

"I've spent all this time just thinking that she just up and left us, hating her for it, and come to find out that she didn't up and leave. Rodney just put her on the back porch dead," said Hill's son Irvin Hill.

"It just sickens me to my stomach knowing that he sat on my couch the day we found out eating chips like he did nothing wrong," said Hill.

Hill tells Newswatch 16 Heaton was a friend of the family. He and his siblings are waiting for the coroner to officially identify the body.

"Have her cremated and then eventually come up with some money to bury her like she has always wanted."

Heaton is expected back in court later this month. He faces several charges including identity theft, but so far he has not been charged with his roommate's death.

The district attorney's office in Clinton County tells us more charges may be filed in the weeks to come.

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