Woman 'cut breasts and toe off love rival's corpse as she lay in coffin'

A woman has been charged with removing body parts from the corpse of her husband's ex-girlfriend.

Shaynna Sims was initially charged with illegal dissection after police in Tulsa, Oklahoma said she cut the woman's corpse during a viewing at a funeral home.

But authorities now say she also removed both breasts and a toe.

Police spokesman Sergeant Shane Tuell said investigators are baffled as to what prompted her to slash the corpse of her boyfriend’s former partner, who was described as the suspect's "frenemy".

“I was hoping by now this young lady would have talked and given her motivation behind why she did what she did, but apparently she’s keeping that to herself,” he said.

Sim’s victim has been named as mother-of-four Tabatha Nadine Nixon who passed away on April 29. Her children ranged in ages between four and 18-years-old.

Witnesses have told investigators they saw Sims reach into Tabatha's coffin at the Moore Funeral Home Eastlawn Chapel in Tulsa two weeks ago.

Tabatha’s face was cut from her hairline to the tip of her nose, her makeup was smeared and her hair was on the floor, police said. Officers later arrested Sims, 26, at the dead woman’s apartment.

They said they found her with a knife with strands of the victims’s hair still attached to it.

A pair of scissors, a box cutter and various makeup items were also discovered.

Tabatha's family told police her son allowed Sims to enter the home because she said she was picking up jewelry to wear to the funeral.

JulieAnn Nixon, Tabatha's sister-in-law, said the family had chosen to speak out so the 38-year-old would not be known as “just a corpse”.

However she said her family now live in fear of Sims after she was released from jail on bond.

Speaking to her local radio station JuliAnn said Tabatha had known Sims' husband, Montie Smith, from her high school days and kept in touch with him over the years.

The two families were also Friends on Facebook.

She refuted claims however the two women were involved in a love triangle at that at no point was there any romance between Tabatha and Montie.

Referring to Sims JuliAnn said: “You didn't hurt her. She went out of this world as pretty as she came into it.

“Who you hurt was her mother, her brother, her kids who have been through so much, her nieces, her nephews, so many people that loved her, but you didn't hurt her.”

According to court records, Sims was previously charged with child neglect in February and pleaded guilty to an amended charge of assault and battery April 15, 2015. Funeral director John Wilson said he had never experienced such a situation in 30 years in the business.

"It’s really unfortunate that it happened," Wilson said.

Police are believed to have found a folding knife with the deceased woman’s hair on it, as well as scissors, a box cutter and various makeup items.