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New York Man Accused Of Killing Mother, Dumping Body In South Carolina

PLEASANT VALLEY, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A New York man is accused in what state police are calling a "disturbing and unusual" case.

New York state police arrested 48-year-old Charles Cole, of Pleasant Valley, on Friday.

Cole has been charged in the death of his 76-year-old mother, Betty Cole, on Aug. 16 at the Pleasant Valley Motel.

Police said Cole kept his mother's body in the motel for seven weeks before he drove the remains to South Carolina and left them in a secluded area in the town of Lodge.

Betty Cole's body was discovered on Oct. 17, police said.

"I find it hard to imagine circumstances that could lead to a son strangling his mother, but to also live with her body in a motel room for seven weeks and to then travel several states away to dump her body like trash, makes this a particularly disturbing and unusual case," said Capt. John J. Ryan, of the Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

Cole was arraigned on a charge of second-degree murder and is being held at Dutchess County Jail without bail.

His wife, Ronalda Cole, faces a charge of tampering with evidence. She is being held at Dutchess County Jail in lieu of $10,000 cash bail.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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