Man charged with dismembering mom appears in court

A 23-year-old man charged with killing and dismembering his mother appeared in court Thursday wearing a garbage bag, and said he did nothing wrong.

Bahsid McLean was charged with murder, hindering prosecution and criminal possession of a weapon. According to a criminal complaint, he stabbed Tanya Byrd, 45, and then cut up her body with help from a friend, William Harris, 26.

Byrd, a home health aide, was last seen alive Monday. Her remains were found the next day, stuffed in four plastic garbage bags and scattered along four blocks in the Bronx, police said.

"I didn't do anything wrong," McLean said in court.

McLean's attorney for the arraignment, Jerry Iannece, said his client wore the bizarre covering because he had urinated on himself. The shorts he had been wearing were soaked, Iannece said, so court personnel gave him the trash bag to wear.

Iannece said his client was off his medication, but didn't say what type. McLean was held without bail and placed on suicide watch in protective custody. He was undergoing a psychiatric evaluation.

"Obviously, this is a troubling case," Iannece said, "but we will investigate and defend it thoroughly."

Police said they have video footage of the two men at a hardware store about 7:30 p.m. Monday where they bought a saw and trash bags, then headed back to the Bronx apartment McLean shared with his mother. About 9:30 p.m. they were recorded lugging bags believed to hold the remains, police said.

McLean later reported his mother missing, police said. Medical examiners determined Byrd died from a stab wound to the neck and officially ruled the death a homicide.

A blade was discovered in the apartment, and a saw was found in Harris' home, police said.

Byrd's family said she had wanted her son out of the house, and there was speculation he abused her other child, authorities said.

McLean and Harris were first arrested on charges of unlawfully dissecting a human body and hindering prosecution. Each man initially implicated the other the killing, authorities said. The murder charge was added later for McLean.

Harris was arraigned on charges of criminal possession of stolen property and drug possession. He was held without bail.