Man Draws Pension Of Dead Mother Hidden In Bathtub

[matcom]

<snip>

BERLIN (Reuters) - A German man hid his dead mother in a bathtub under a heap of rubbish in their back garden and then continued to collect her pension, police said on Friday.

Police investigating the woman's disappearance found the 63-year-old's corpse wrapped in clear plastic under garden waste and roofing felt after her unemployed car mechanic son, 36, had told them she was taking a holiday for her health.

The man, who is under investigation for fraud and suspected murder, said he had found his mother dead at home in the summer one day and had only done what she would have wanted.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=573&ncid=573&e=6&u=/nm/20031024/od_nm/mother_dc

[joeybee12]

1. Well, who wouldn't want their rotting body to be covered by garbage?

Surely, I can see why his mother wanted that.

[jonoboy]

2. this happened

in Australia as well although the guy in question didn't hide his mum in the back garden. He had her buried but just neglected to tell the pension people she had kicked the bucket and collected her social security for 4 years.
Got away with it as well as it was too hard to prove he did it deliberately but a lot of rules were changed.

[papau]

3. Composting your Mom and Dad is a tradition in some families

:-)

joke!

:-)

but there are a few questions in the process.

Indeed, in Illinois I was offerred an $8,000 coffin (each) plus $3,000 burial (plot was purchased a few years earlier)for my mom and dad, or

A required by Illinois law Styrofoam casket and burial for the required by law price of $50.00 per body.

Of course I spent the $20,000 - but one wonders if that German fellow had a better handle on "what mom would have wanted".

[Wickerman]

5. $50.00 for an igloo styrofoam chest?

Wow, that is cold. In Texas the allowed you to use cardboard - but it seems like it was 150$ and for another 100$ you could have the viewing in a nice casket so everyone didn't know you were cheap!

The entire funeral industry is out of control and since 90% of it is owned by 3 or 4 companies, and since you are typically in duress when making those decisions they most often take advantage of you. And, of course, the industry was awarded special favors by Bush* when he was gov of Texas.... if that tells you how corrupt it all is...

[Kellanved]

6. In any case : Burial outside a graveyard is illegal in Germany

Sometimes it seems that it would be shorter to list the allowed things; anyway: you're not even allowed to take the Urn back home.

[Nikia]

4. I was scared for a moment

I thought perhaps they discovered that the rumors about a coworker were true. He lives with his mother who people don't see. He doesn't let people come inside his house and he always smells bad. So the rumor is that his mother is dead in the bath tub.