Austria: man kept his mother’s body in the basement for a pension

BERLIN – Austrian police say a man hid his mother’s body in his basement for more than a year in order to continue receiving his pension and care allowance.

Police in the province of Tyrol said on Thursday that officers visited the man in the Innsbruck region last weekend as suspicions were raised that his 89-year-old mother died in June 2020.

They said in a statement that the 66-year-old admitted during questioning that he kept his body in the basement after his death at home so he could continue to receive his benefits. Investigations so far suggest he has cashed in “five-figure” euros.

Authorities performed an autopsy on her mother’s body on Wednesday and found no evidence of foul play.