An Italian man has been accused of wearing his deceased mother’s clothing to fraudulently claim her pension while concealing her body in their home.
The 56-year-old man, a former nurse from Mantua, reportedly managed to obtain thousands of euros before his scheme was uncovered by authorities. He had allegedly kept his mother, Graziella Dall’Oglio, deceased for about three years, without reporting her passing. Instead, he wrapped her body in a sheet, placed it in a sleeping bag, and hid it within their residence.
To perpetuate the deception, the man purportedly dressed in his mother’s attire, including makeup and jewelry, and even altered his hairstyle to resemble hers. He impersonated his mother during a visit to a government office in Borgo Virgilio to renew her identification card.
However, his disguise raised suspicions among office staff due to discrepancies, such as a thick neck and deep voice. The authorities compared photos of the real Ms. Dall’Oglio with her son and detected the ruse.
Reports indicate that the man had been receiving his mother’s pension income, totaling around £47,000 annually, and owned multiple properties. Upon his arrest, police discovered Ms. Dall’Oglio’s mummified body hidden in the laundry room of their home.
The mayor of Borgo Virgilio, Francesco Aporti, described the man’s attempt at impersonation, highlighting physical anomalies that aroused suspicion. The case is being investigated for illegal concealment of a body and pension fraud.
Italian military police confirmed that the mother’s body was preserved in a mummified state, wrapped in bed sheets and a sleeping bag. The remains were transferred to a local hospital for further examination.