Foul odor leads cops to body stuffed inside tote in hotel room, Washington police say

The body of a 61-year-old man was found in a plastic tote inside a Washington hotel room, police said.

Mercer Island detectives went to the hotel after a tip about a missing man, according to a Renton Police Department news release.

They noticed a “foul odor coming from inside” a hotel room and asked Renton police for help, according to the news release.

When officers arrived, a 31-year-old Seattle man refused to let them inside, police said.

“The man refused to let officers enter to check the welfare of the occupants,” the news release said. “Renton police obtained a search warrant to enter the room and once inside, discovered human remains in a plastic tote container in the bathroom.”

The man was arrested Tuesday, and the remains have not been identified, police said.

This story was originally published May 6, 2020 at 6:24 PM with the headline "Foul odor leads cops to body stuffed inside tote in hotel room, Washington police say."