A resident of Chicago, Illinois kept his late mother’s body in a freezer for almost two years while using her identification documents. The information surfaced after authorities received a tip from a Kentucky resident who asked police to inspect the home where the elderly woman had lived and had become uncommunicative. Investigators found the elderly woman’s body stored in a freezer that had been installed in the garage, adjacent to the apartment where the man and his adult daughter resided.
Officials determined that the woman died in March 2021. The exact cause of death will be clarified once the body is defrosted and an autopsy is completed. The daughter was arrested on charges related to concealing a death and possessing a false identity card. Authorities noted that she had prior convictions for document forgery and are examining whether benefits intended for the grandmother were improperly accessed or claimed by the family member who remained behind with the estate and the arrangements after her death.
Details indicate that the deceased had depended on the daughter for certain duties tied to caregiving and daily routines, and questions remain about the extent of the daughter’s involvement in the handling of the grandmother’s affairs after death. Investigators are pursuing a fuller understanding of any potential misuse of administrative records or benefits tied to the matriarch, and whether other relatives or associates were aware of the situation.
Separately, in a separate case reported last year, a man from Thailand was noted to be dealing with the unsettling circumstance of a deceased spouse remaining in the residence after her passing. This case highlights concerns about legal rights, the proper handling of estates, and the safeguards surrounding social support systems that can be exploited within family networks in stressful times.