New York Psychiatrist Accused of Burying Body, Pleads Guilty

February 20, 2015

Rochester psychiatrist William Lewek admitted in court Friday he buried the body of 32-year-old Matthew Straton in the backyard of his Park Avenue neighborhood house, avoiding a trial for one of the strangest cases in recent memory.

Lewek, 63, pleaded guilty to a felony charge of tampering with physical evidence, namely Straton's body, in his Rowley Street yard in October 2013. He faces a maximum sentence of 1 1/3 to 4 years.

Rochester police officers discovered Straton's body in January 2014, beneath a patio chair and pile of lawn debris, months after his family reported him missing.

Justin Murphy, "William Lewek, psychiatrist accused of hiding body, pleads guilty," Democrat & Chronicle, Feb. 20, 2015, https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2015/02/20/william-lewek-guilty-rochester-matthew-straton/23739567/.