Brockton woman held without bail after boyfriend found dead in closet

BROCKTON, Mass. — A Brockton woman charged in connection with the discovery of her boyfriend's dead body in a closet was ordered held without bail Monday.

Kathryn Podgurski appeared in court Monday on a charge of accessory after the fact of murder in the death of 44-year-old Joseph Shaw.

Prosecutors said Joe Shaw was last seen a week ago at a party.

The Plymouth district attorney says Shaw's body was found in his apartment Friday night after authorities got a call from a nearby motel. It's not clear who made the call.

Shaw had been stabbed and had been dead a period of time. His family had reported his missing earlier last week.

Prosecutors said Podgurski told police that she and Shaw were robbed and two masked men stabbed Shaw. However, police said there were no signs of forced entry into the apartment. She later told police she helped move his body into the closet.

Prosecutors allege that Podgurski stabbed Shaw and tries to dispose of his body piece by piece, using kitty litter to absorb liquids.

Prosecutors said Shaw's body was identified by his tattoos, and his lower leg and other limbs are missing.

The medical examiner determined that if Shaw had received medical attention when first stabbed, he would have lived.

The death was Brockton's sixth homicide of the year.

Podgurski at this point is only charged with being an accessory to the murder. She'll appear in court next month.

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