The body of a 31-year-old man who went missing in October was buried behind the home of a psychiatrist affiliated with the University of Rochester Medical Center. Police say Dr. William Lewek, 62, confessed to hiding Matthew Straton‘s body “in his backyard under a patio chair and a pile of dirt, grass and other debris,” the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reported Friday.
Police did not say how Straton died, and Lewek was not immediately charged with homicide after the missing man’s badly decomposed corpse was found behind the home on Rochester’s Rowley Street. Lewek was charged with tampering with physical evidence, a felony, and an arrest affidavit said Lewek admitted moving Straton’s body from a third-floor bedroom of the home and burying it in the backyard.
Police say Dr. William Lewek (left) admitted burying Matthew Straton (right) in his backyard.
Lewek also faces a felony charge of possessing a controlled substance after police say they found 17 small bags of crack cocaine “packaged for street sale” hidden in a shoe in Lewek’s house.
Lewek’s psychiatric practice dealt with drug addiction and his patients said he treated them at the Rowley Street address. “I asked the policeman, I said I’ve got an appointment and he said not today,” said Carol Lovel, who told WHAM-TV she had been Lewek’s patient for 14 years.
Straton was reported missing Oct. 28, and the arrest affidavit by Rochester Police Investigator Randy Benjamin said Lewek admitted burying Straton’s body between 2 a..m. and 3 a.m. on Oct. 29.
Information about Lewek has apparently been removed from the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) web site. A URMC spokeswoman who spoke to WHAM-TV described “Lewek’s relationship with them as ‘very loose.’ She says he volunteered to teach residents, but is not paid by the university.” In an e-mail to the Democrat and Chronicle, URMC spokeswoman Teri D’Agostino said Lewek “was well regarded” by those who worked with him.
Flyer in front of home where body was found. (Photo: Neeti Upadhye, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle.)
Lewek’s neighbors expressed shock about the reported crime. “It’s so close to home,” Latanjia Pittman told WHAM-TV. “I mean you can’t even be walking in the neighborhood and know that things are happening like this. It’s crazy.” The residential neighborhood is considered safe, but Jodi Campbell, who lives a block from Lewek’s home, said the discovery of Straton’s body “makes me feel like maybe I should look to move into the suburbs.”
READ MORE:
- Gary Craig, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Court docs: William Lewek admits hiding Matthew Straton’s body in backyard
- Rochester Police Department: Criminal complaint against William Lewek
- Jane Flasch, WHAM-TV: 27 Rowley Street owner specializes in addictions
- Jennifer Lee, WHAM-TV: Neighbors react to Rowley St. investigation