Tennessee man arrested after allegedly driving dead mom’s body to hospital

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TCD) -- A 37-year-old man was arrested over the weekend after he reportedly drove his mother’s corpse wrapped in a tarp across county lines to a Veterans Affairs hospital.

The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department announced Thomas Henshall of Chattanooga was taken into custody on charges of failure to report the discovery of a dead body and evidence tampering. Henshall reportedly showed up at the Nashville VA Medical Center at 5:15 p.m. on Saturday. The body, which officials believe to be that of his mother, was allegedly wrapped in a tarp in his truck.

According to the Metro Nashville Police Department’s statement, Henshall said his mother committed suicide and he found her body in the woods. The department identified the woman as 60-year-old Danielle Bowen.

Henshall allegedly picked up his girlfriend Saturday morning with Bowen’s body in the truck and they reportedly made pit stops along the way to the VA hospital in Chattanooga for food and gas. The VA medical center in Chattanooga was reportedly closed, so Henshall and his girlfriend reportedly drove to Nashville. According to Nashville Police, Henshall’s drive involved "passing multiple hospitals and law enforcement facilities along the way."

While speaking with Metro Nashville Police Department homicide detectives, Henshall reportedly said he was next to his mother when she shot herself. His girlfriend, however, was allegedly told that he found his mother’s body in the woods. Henshall reportedly invoked his Miranda rights when asked how his mother obtained the gun.

According to WKRN-TV, which cites the arrest warrant, Henshall never reported finding his mother’s body to the police. The tampering charge reportedly refers to him touching and concealing the body and clothing.

WKRN reports Henshall allegedly sent his girlfriend an email earlier in the day that included a recording from his mother saying, "He’s not accountable for anything. He’s agreed to put me out of my misery."

Nashville Police wrote in a follow-up statement Monday that Bowen reportedly suffered a gunshot wound to the head. Henshall was being held in lieu of $80,000 bond.

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