Here’s another example of how people get arrested when they overlook minor details. Timmie Jordan died in Sebastian, Florida in 2003 from natural causes but instead of burying her mother, Penelope Sharon, kept her in a spare bedroom. This may be a little weird but not a major problem. Sharon continued to collect her mother’s Social Security and military pension. In fact over the last six years she collected $61,415 in Social Security benefits and $176,461 in her mother’s military retirement. She might have gotten away with it but a neighbor called the authorities to report an excessive number of cats on the property. When the police came out to check on the cats they found the dead body. When questioned Sharon told the police that her mother had died in 2003.

And on the other coast there is another woman found dead in her house. In Piedmont California 86 year old Patricia Bostrom was found dead in her house. According to the Alameda County coroner she died at least two years ago. The district attorney decided not to file charges against her daughter, Nancy. There is insufficient evidence to charge Nancy with theft related charges concerning the monthly Social Security that were cashed. At least from a criminal defense point of view, Bostrom at least had the brains not to tell the police how long her mother had been dead.