Kansas City, Missouri – A husband and wife from a suburb near Kansas City were recently taken into custody. They are accused of hiding a deceased parent in their house for over six years. They did this to keep getting his retirement money.
The Kansas City couple unlawfully acquired more than $200,000
On Wednesday, the government’s legal team claimed that Lynn and Kirk Ritter, who are both 61 years old, took about $215,000. This money was supposed to be for 81-year-old Mike Carroll, a retired worker from a telecommunications company. Carroll started getting funds from the Social Security Administration and his pension in 2008.
According to several reports, legal charges show that Carroll’s heart device indicated he passed away in 2016. However, this was not reported to the officials. The charges point out that Lynn was mainly responsible for taking care of him.
The prosecution says that the relatives of the deceased were taking money from his bank account and using it for themselves. This is believed to have continued for over six years. The situation came to light when Kirk Ritter informed the police about his father-in-law’s death on October 23, 2022.
When the police got to their house, they discovered Carroll’s body in bed, in a state that looked like mummification, as mentioned in the legal documents. The Kansas City Star reported that a local doctor concluded Carroll died from natural causes. Still, an investigation was started.
The Kansas City couple kept the body from 2016 to 2022
The investigation found out that Carroll had actually died around July 1, 2016. It was also uncovered that Carroll’s daughter and son-in-law were writing checks to themselves from his bank account for their own use. This was pointed out by the prosecutors.
Now, the couple is facing legal charges for committing wire fraud and stealing government money. They could be sentenced to up to 20 years in jail if found guilty. Their first court date is scheduled for February 2 at a federal court in Kansas City.
