A 25-year-old man in Spain has been detained after admitting he hid his father's body in a wardrobe for 18 months to continue claiming his pension. The Civil Guard confirmed the man concealed the corpse in the family home in Torrecaballeros, near Segovia, following his father's death.
Body discovered in wardrobe during police search
Officers searched the property and found the father's body stored in a wardrobe. The father is believed to have died of natural causes, although his age at death has not been disclosed. An investigation has been opened into the incident.
The son could face up to two years in prison if charged with concealing the whereabouts of a body. Authorities have not ruled out additional charges, including fraudulently claiming the pension for more than a year and accessing a deceased person's finances.
Similar cases of concealing bodies for financial gain
This case follows a pattern of relatives hiding deceased family members for economic benefit. Last month, a Greek man was arrested for hiding his dead father in a basement freezer for two-and-a-half years. The 55-year-old from the Peloponnese had told investigators his father had moved to Athens, according to RTE.
Authorities later found the corpse in a freezer in a former hotel converted to housing in Mystras. In 2023, two Canadian walkers discovered the body of an Italian man in a cave 250 kilometres from his home in Puglia. Bruno Delnegro, 81, was hidden by his sons to claim his €3,000-a-month pension. The family placed his body in a sleeping bag and drove it to Castrovalva in the Abruzzo region instead of notifying authorities.
Investigation ongoing in Spain
The Spanish investigation remains open as authorities determine the full scope of the son's actions. The suspect faces potential charges related to both the concealment of the body and the fraudulent pension claims. The case highlights ongoing issues with relatives exploiting deceased family members' benefits.
