Leigh Ann Sabine, a retired nurse, kept a dark secret for years, even joking to her neighbors in the Welsh village of Beddau that she had a medical skeleton in her flat. After her death in 2015, what was believed to be a prank skeleton turned out to be the decomposing body of her husband, John Sabine, wrapped in plastic sheeting. The shocking discovery was made by her neighbors, who initially thought they were preparing a joke but were met with the horrific smell and sight of a real corpse.
Police initially arrested one of the neighbors, Michelle James, on suspicion of murder, but she repeatedly urged them to investigate Leigh. As authorities delved into Leigh’s past, they uncovered that she and John had moved to Australia, had five children, and later abandoned them in New Zealand before returning to the UK. Leigh claimed John had died of an illness, and even had a fake death certificate. However, DNA testing confirmed that the body found was indeed John Sabine’s.
With the body found, police needed to prove Leigh was responsible for John’s death. The investigation revealed that the body was dressed in Marks & Spencer pyjamas discontinued in 1999, and his skull bore signs of blunt force trauma. A friend of the Sabines came forward, recalling a disturbing phone call in 1997 where Leigh admitted to battering John with a stone frog because he was “getting on her nerves.” This phone call, combined with the discovery of the stone frog with John’s blood and Leigh’s fingerprints, linked Leigh to the murder.
The motive for the murder appeared to stem from Leigh’s resentment towards John for his regrets over abandoning their children. The case, featured in the Sky documentary The Body Next Door, highlights the chilling reality of how Leigh Sabine kept her husband’s body hidden for years, and how her dark secret was ultimately uncovered.
