The police in Carabanchel, Madrid, Spain, were shocked to find that a man had been living with his 92-year-old dead mother’s decomposing body for a year, just so he could continue collecting her pension.
Police were alerted to the unnamed man’s home after neighbours noticed a strong smell had been emanating from the man’s home for weeks and realised that they hadn’t seen his mother for about a year.
According to the Madrid Police Headquarters, the police and emergency services team visited the home and broke the door down when nobody answered.
In the property, the authorities found the deceased 92-year-old woman in an “advanced state of decomposition” in a wooden coffin that appeared to be homemade.
The deceased woman’s 62-year-old son was promptly arrested after the authorities made the chilling discovery. He reportedly confirmed that he continued collecting his mother’s pension after her death.
According to local publication Ultima Hora, preliminary investigations show that the deceased woman died of natural causes and has been dead for a year. The Anatomical Forensic Institute is set to conduct further investigations to confirm the time and cause of death.