A Massachusetts man, Christopher Caron, 42, from Scituate, has been accused of tricking his neighbors into helping him move a dead body by claiming it was a "hockey mannequin." Caron turned himself in on Saturday (August 30) for the alleged murder of Declan Perry, a 27-year-old chef from Maine. The body was discovered wrapped in blankets and bound with duct tape inside a black Honda Civic outside South Shore Hospital on August 23.

An autopsy revealed that Perry had been strangled and beaten, sustaining deep hemorrhaging and injuries consistent with blunt force trauma. On Tuesday (September 2), Caron was arraigned in Hingham District Court, where he pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. He is being held without bail until his next court date on September 29.

Prosecutors allege that Perry traveled from Maine to Massachusetts on August 22 to meet Caron. The two allegedly purchased drugs in Boston before returning to Caron's home in Scituate. Later that night, Caron reportedly administered Narcan to Perry, who was unconscious but still breathing. When Perry was found dead the following morning, Caron allegedly refused to call an ambulance and instead attempted to move Perry's body using a detached interior door as a stretcher.

Authorities said that Caron wrapped Perry's body in blankets and tape, with the assistance of a female friend. Neighbors, unaware of the true nature of the situation, helped move the body into the car, believing it to be a mannequin.

Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz praised the collaborative efforts of the police departments in Weymouth and Scituate, who worked together on the case. The investigation is ongoing, with a full report from the medical examiner's office pending.

Jeffrey T. Mason