Woman Steals €43,000 from Deceased Lover, Leaves Body for 16 Months

The death of a man in Besançon remained unnoticed for over 16 months until a series of financial irregularities brought the case to light. A 64-year-old woman has been accused of withdrawing over €40,000 from the bank account of her deceased lover, whose body was left to mummify in his bed.

On August 5, 2023, neighbors, concerned by the absence of any recent signs of life from the 62-year-old man, alerted authorities. Upon entering the residence, forensic doctors discovered a mummified corpse, concluding that the death, which likely occurred several months prior, was of natural origin. The investigation highlighted the man’s solitary existence and habitual alcohol consumption, with neighbors last seeing him in late spring 2022.

The deceased’s only daughter, who had been estranged from him since 2005, became suspicious after accessing her father's bank account. She noticed significant bank withdrawals had been made up until October 2023, long after his presumed death. Over this period, €43,000 was illicitly withdrawn.

Video surveillance footage identified the 64-year-old woman using the deceased’s bank card. Upon her arrest, she confessed to having an emotional affair with the man and explained that she led a double life with him. She discovered him inebriated and unresponsive one day, left him in bed in a poor state, and upon returning, found him deceased. Claiming fear of accusations, she did not report the death and took his bank card instead.

She used the money to fuel her addiction to scratch-off lottery tickets and avoided the man’s residence thereafter. The woman is now facing charges of 'failure to assist a person in danger,' 'theft,' and 'fraud,' affecting the man's daughter and the pension fund that continued to make payments for 16 months.