Court docs: Worker sent to air out home stole deceased’s guitar collection, withdrew $60K from bank account

MUNCIE, Ind. — A maintenance worker is accused of stealing a dead man’s prized guitar collection, along with withdrawing nearly $60,000 from the deceased’s bank account, after being sent by a property manager to air out a home following the man’s death.

Trey Storer, 32, was arrested on Tuesday on preliminary charges of theft and fraud, both Level 5 felonies.

According to court documents, the deceased was discovered dead inside a home on W. Charter Street in Muncie on Dec. 1, 2024. He was in a state of decomposition, so the property manager sent a maintenance worker to the home to open up the windows and air out the house.

Court documents reveal that the deceased man’s sister wasn’t tracked down and notified about her brother’s death until Dec. 16. When she went to her brother’s home, she noticed his guitar collection was missing. After checking his bank accounts, she discovered nearly $60,000 worth of withdrawals.

The property management company told investigators that only Storer, the maintenance worker they sent to air out the home, had entered the residence since the discovery of the body. Coworkers told police that Storer had suddenly come into money, flaunting cash and new jewelry, and had recently complained about his girlfriend not being appreciative of $2,500 worth of jewelry he had purchased for her.

According to police reports, another coworker stated that Storer showed him six guitars and claimed they belonged to his brother. Storer sold at least two of them to a Guitar Center, one being a vintage Gibson ES335. Investigators easily linked this guitar to the deceased’s collection due to its custom knobs and switches.

Storer was able to access the man’s bank account and use his debit card due to finding private banking information while inside the home, court documents reveal. One coworker recalled finding it odd how Storer would put on a face mask and pull up a hood before going into a store to make cash withdrawals.

Investigators confronted Storer on Tuesday. Court documents allege that Storer admitted to stealing the deceased’s debit card after going into the home to open the windows. He also allegedly admitted to making several purchases with the card, including jewelry.

Official charges have not yet been filed in this case. Final charging decisions are made by the Delaware County Prosecutor’s Office.

Jail records show Storer is currently being held in Delaware County Jail with a $10,000 bond.

In Indiana, a Level 5 felony carries a maximum prison sentence of six years.