Man Keeps Parents' Dead Bodies At Home For Years To Keep Collecting Their Pension

A man reportedly kept his parents' dead bodies at their home, hidden from the outside world, and lied about their well-being for months, in order to continue receiving their pension in Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture, Japan.

Takashi Morishita, 54, a part-time worker, has been arrested on Monday, Nov. 16, on suspicion of corpse abandonment after the decomposing remains of his father and mother were found at their home, Japan Today reported.

After Morishita was questioned by the officers, he reportedly confessed to the charges against him. According to Morishita's statements, his father Katsuji, 81, had died a year ago and he has been keeping the information about his death a secret ever since. Meanwhile. Morishita's mother died only four days ago.

When asked about the motive behind withholding information about his parents' death, Morishita said that he stored the bodies at home because he wanted to continue receiving their pension money.

However, the incident finally came to light when Morishita called emergency medical services on Monday, Nov. 16, and reported to them that two bodies were at his parents’ residence.

In a similar but unrelated incident, a man kept the mummified corpse of his mother in a basement for over a year and continued to receive her pension payments in Austria, BBC reported.

The 66-year-old son reportedly put his 89-year-old mother's body in his cellar and used ice packs and bandages to mask the smell. The mother, who reportedly had dementia, is thought to have died of natural causes in June last year.

The officers believe that the son illegally received a total amount of about US$56,588 (€50,000) in pension payments after the woman's death.

The fraud reportedly came to light after a new postman who was delivering the woman's benefits in the region was refused a request to see her. Following this, the officers started an investigation into the matter and led to the subsequent discovery.

The man reportedly had no other income and feared that he would be unable to afford to pay for his mother's funeral or to keep the house if her pension money stopped.

The son even lied to his brother about their parents' whereabouts. He reportedly told him that she was receiving care at a hospital and advised him against visiting her saying that she would not be able to recognize him.