QUEENS — The Ridgewood man charged with living for months with his grandmother's rotting corpse has been sentenced to five to 15 years in prison, officials said Wednesday.
Christopher Fuhrer, 31, of 65th Street had previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter and concealment of a human corpse, according to the Queens District Attorney's office.
The defendant killed his 85-year-old grandmother, Erika Kraus-Breslin, whom he lived with as her sole caregiver for five years before her death, officials said.
Fuhrer told investigators he accidentally strangled his grandmother on May 21, 2016, and instead of reporting it to the police, he wrapped her body in a black garbage bag and left it in an upstairs bedroom of their home.
Kraus-Breslin died from asphyxiation with neck compression, Queens DA Richard Brown said. As her corpse decayed for more than four and a half months, her grandson concealed the scent with air freshener and paint, until police received a call from a concerned relative's lawyer, the DA said.
The body was discovered on Oct. 5, 2016.