Woman who kept mom's body and benefits charged

[Nagishkaw 510]

MIAMI (Reuters) – A Florida woman has been indicted for keeping her dead mother's body in a bedroom for six years while collecting more than $200,000 in pension benefits, U.S. prosecutors said on Thursday.

Penelope Sharon Jordan of Sebastian, Florida, was charged by a federal grand jury last week with Social Security fraud and theft, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Miami said.

Police found the decaying body of her mother, Timmie Jordan, on a bed in a spare bedroom at the mother's home in late March, when they were called to investigate a report of nuisance cats.

Penelope Jordan told police her mother had died in 2003.

The indictment alleged Jordan concealed her mother's death in order to receive both her U.S. Social Security benefits and her military survivor's benefit.

Jordan collected $61,415 from Social Security and $176,461 from the military pension during the six years, prosecutors said.

She could face up to 15 years in prison.

Local media reported that the 61-year-old woman told police her mother died of old age and she kept the remains because she couldn't afford burial expenses. An autopsy found no signs of foul play.

According to a local paper, police found many cats on Jordan's property but she denied they were hers.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090508/od_nm/...XYtd29tYW53aG9r

[Peikko 1,575]

Another case of mental illness I suspect.

[Nagishkaw 510]

Probably so. I wonder how she dealt with the smell?

[Peikko 1,575]

Well, the article suggests a large quantity of cats as well. One wonders if the woman's olfactory nerves worked effectively.

[Mags 112]

Pish! There's no such thing as nuisance cats! All cats are beautiful and wonderful!

The more the merrier!

[sasha414 0]

gross

[Niels Bohr 72]

She would've gotten away with it if she brought the body to the woods and burn it into ashes.

[Marina-Del 10]

Gross. How did no one notice that that old lady was missing? I mean, I understand that the daughter must have been the only surviving relative...but the neighbors didn't notice that the old woman never appeared any more or anything? She didn't have any type of friends or at least acquaintances that would notice if she was gone for 6 years!