Missing man found in Worcester home died of heroin overdose, police say

WORCESTER, Mass. — A Worcester man has been charged with disinterment of a human body and misleading police after investigators discovered a dead man inside a home.

Worcester police say 27-year-old Justin Ramos, who has been missing since Jan. 7, was found inside 4 Valley Hill Dr. Monday night.

MORE: Dead body found at same home where missing man was last seen

As a result, police arrested 32-year-old Xavier Broughton. He is charged with lying to police. Police say he told them he dragged Ramos' body back to the porch after he died of an overdose.

Police believe Ramos died upstairs and was dragged outside, where his body has been for weeks.

"He panicked and dragged him down the stairs by his legs, through the home, to the back porch where he left him," said John Melander, Worcester County DA's Office.

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Ramos was last seen at a party at the home, and his family and family had been searching for him ever since.

Police say at first, Broughton told them Ramos was seen leaving the party, then switched his story after new information surfaced from an anonymous source.

"They had seen this defendant rummaging through the effects of the missing person," said Melander.

But police say Broughton lied again - saying Ramos had a medical issue at the party, but left the next morning after eating a bowl of cereal.

Police found Ramos' body Monday night covered with cardboard boxes and paper bags.

Broughton is not charged with the death. Investigators are waiting autopsy results to determine the exact cause, but right now they believe he died of a heroin overdose.

Family members of both men declined to speak with Boston 25 News Tuesday night.

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