Remains of elderly woman found in basement of house in Marathon – daughter and grandson arrested
The remains of an elderly woman were discovered wrapped in plastic in the basement of a residence in Marathon. A 68-year-old daughter and a grandson were arrested on the orders of the prosecutor.
Remains of woman in plastic in basement – arrests for concealment of body in Marathon
The remains of an elderly woman were discovered wrapped in plastic in the basement of a detached house in Marathon during a fresh police search in the presence of a prosecutor on Friday, 4 September, according to Newsbeast. The body was not buried. Shortly afterwards, the deceased woman's daughter, 68, and her grandson were arrested on the orders of the prosecutor for failing to report the discovery of a body.
The remains will be examined by a forensic anthropologist, whose findings will be included in the forensic report. The examination is expected to produce information about the exact time of death, the circumstances and causes of it, and an official identification of the victim will also be made. The woman's death may have occurred up to ten years ago.
How the investigation began
The case came to light approximately two weeks earlier, when the elderly woman's granddaughter reported to police that she had lost all contact with her grandmother for approximately ten years. The elderly woman lived in the Marathon house with her daughter and grandson, who according to reports had psychological problems. If she had lived, the woman would be 90 years old today.
Following the report, police checked the EFKA database and established that the death of the elderly woman had never been registered, a fact that triggered a wider investigation. Earlier reports stated that the 68-year-old daughter allegedly admitted that she had buried her mother in the garden of the house in order to continue receiving her pension.
On Thursday, teams with specialist machinery and bulldozers excavated the entire garden of the house without finding the body. The discovery was made the next day, in the basement of the residence.
What daughter and grandson said
Earlier that same day, the 68-year-old spoke to journalists and claimed that her mother had died from natural causes. "I don't know where my mother is, I didn't arrange a funeral for her," she said. When asked why a funeral was not held, she responded: "These are personal matters." When asked if she had indicated to police where the burial site was, she refused to answer.
The deceased woman's grandson spoke to ERT News and denied any involvement. "My mother, I don't know exactly what she has done, because I didn't live in this house all the time," he said. He added that his mother had told him that she had buried the elderly woman in the garden, something which proved untrue. "She lies to everyone, her condition is not good," he stated, and clarified that during that period he was in Trikala with his father.
Separate case file for fraud against the State
The unlawful collection of pension in the name of the deceased woman will be investigated in a separate case file for fraud against the State, according to the same reports.
Source: Newsbeast