Mortuary Employee Arrested After Bizarre Incident with a Sex Doll

In an unusual turn of events, a mortuary employee from Nebraska found himself out of a job and behind bars after he paid an unexpected visit to a deceased man's residence for a rather unconventional rendezvous. The Sarpy County Sheriff's Office revealed that 41-year-old Ryan Smith was taken into custody and is now facing charges of attempted burglary, criminal trespassing, and tampering with physical evidence. After a brief stint in Sarpy County Jail, Smith was released on $500 bail, according to his public defender, Thomas Strigenz.

Smith was one of two employees working for Mid America First Call, a company that the sheriff's office had contracted to handle the retrieval and processing of deceased individuals. On October 6, they responded to a call about a 51-year-old man's "natural death" in Chalco, located near 144th Street and Giles Road.

Later that same day, Smith contacted the property manager of the deceased man's residence, asserting that the sheriff's office had requested him to collect a life-sized sex doll for a supposed "biopsy." However, this claim raised suspicions.

Captain Tori Boldt clarified that the sheriff's department would never request such an item unless it was linked to a potential crime, such as murder or relevant trace evidence. The property manager wisely declined Smith's request. Notably, when investigating a strange noise in the now-vacant apartment, the property manager discovered Smith inside, with the deadbolt locked and the chain secured. Smith's disheveled appearance raised further concerns.

Boldt explained, "The landlord called to report this suspicious activity. They noticed that there were no officers with this person claiming to pick up the doll for us, so he called and said that was strange. [Smith] had left the location, but we knew who he was, so we caught up with him to make the arrest."

Upon a subsequent investigation at the scene, it was noted that items had been rearranged from their previous positions in photographs taken earlier in the day. The Douglas County Crime Lab was called to process the new crime scene and collect fingerprints. Additionally, investigators intended to take DNA samples from the sex doll, which remained in the apartment.

The Sarpy County Sheriff's Office confirmed that there were no indications of Smith tampering with other crime scenes, and they planned to maintain their working relationship with the mortuary company.

Justin Dalton, the owner of Mid America First, clarified that Smith was "off the clock" during the unusual incident and promptly terminated following his arrest. Captain Boldt acknowledged the intrigue surrounding the case, stating, "I understand the public's interest in it – it's such an odd story."

Smith's next court appearance is scheduled for December 4 in Sarpy County Court.