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A man kept his mother’s mummified corpse in a basement for more than a year while still collecting his pensions, Austrian police say.
The 89-year-old woman, who is believed to have suffered from dementia, is believed to have died of natural causes in June of last year.
Her son, 66, allegedly put her body in his basement and used ice packs and bandages to mask the smell.
Police believe he may have illegally received around € 50,000 (£ 42,000) in payments.
The alleged fraud came to light only after a new factor that paid the woman’s benefits in the West Tyrol region was denied a request to see her, police said in a statement.
This sparked an investigation and led to the gruesome discovery that followed.
Police told Austrian public broadcaster ORF that the suspect also covered his mother in kitty litter.
“Ultimately, the corpse was mummified,” Officer Helmuth Gufler said, adding that the man had confessed.
Mr Gufler said the man had no other income and told them payments would have ceased immediately if he had reported the death, leaving him unable to pay for his mother’s funeral or keep the house he had they shared.
The suspect also said he told his brother that their mother was receiving treatment in a hospital and that it was not worth visiting as her condition meant she was unlikely to recognize him, ORF reported.
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