well...." return of the money" don't seam plausible........................:)

The cultural "rot" of our society

More like a "psycho"episode. Keeping the dead friend in a rocking chair. I am sure that she had long conversations with him at night.

Maybe a CSI episode

Michigan...such a rich State that doesn't seem to care about their residents collecting benefits when and where they should'nt be! Just a few months ago, we read about some Detroit woman who remained on the Welfare rolls after hitting Lotto and supposedly, she was doing nothing illegal!

Illegal and immoral are separate things. And even then there are differing opinions on both law and morals. However, I agree with the notion that a major problem is that Michigan (and many other states) officials don't have anything in place to directly deal with issues like these. Too often we are seeing "there's nothing on the books that will help us handle situations like these...".

I see it now, this is the sequal to "It's Cheaper to Keep her"........... "War of the Roses"..........."Weekend and Vacation at the Chase House"..........Bernie has now left the building..........

Since when does any beneficiary get $28,000 in retirement benefits in 18 months? That sum seems suspiciously high to me. By the look of the feller in the picture, bless his soul, he doesn't appear to be the kind to make that kind of money. 28 thou in 18 months for a retiree is damn good living if you ask me!

So she's 72. And what's her health issues? And so what. These can't be excuses to let her off. Geez, give everybody over 70 an easy out and they could find a place to keep their spouse or friend so they can continue to collect SSI and pension checks.

And 67 - really??!! Man, I guess that's what a hard life (and smoking) does to you. By the picture, would have thought the guy was 87!

Gary:

$28,000 in 18 months is nothing - mainly if he was on disability. Disability SSI now pays a max of about $2,300 a month.

This is what our elderly have been reduced to. gee thanks Bush.

when you learn how to spell, sweetheart...then put your movie deal out there. i'm guessing that won't be anytime soon. whatev.

she is a CRIMINAL! yet the CEOs who make millions while laying off outsourcing and downsizing employees and swindling investors are not! get those twenty eight thousand dollars!!!

I get the initial thought that this woman cheated for money. But her long time companion (so not married) just died and they probably lived off that money. Maybe from a different perspective she was afraid to lose income. She didnt even move the body. Which is a mental state that she wanted him to be where he always was and in peace. I agree that anyone over 70 gets off way to easy. But if this woman stood the smell of a decaying body in a chair in her living room for 18 months obviously there is something wrong upstairs.

A point to be made Hopeful. Social Security Disability or Social Security retirement still has to file and or pay income taxes.

http://www.hcvadvocate.org/hepatitis/hepC/Taxing%20disability%20benefits.htm

While the rich and industry conglomerates reap windfall profits and get subsidies at the same time.

$28 grand in 18 months is still damn good income.

Wow, someone actually found a way to blame Bush with this article.....!!

Things are different now, and the bar for success is higher. Instead of arguing over the abstract causes of income inequality or hoping for miracles from Washington, national leaders ought to be sending this message to America's workers: Get smarter. Work harder. Go where the opportunity is. Prosperity isn't going to trickle down from the wealthy, or arrive in the form of a government check. The only person looking out for you is you.

Article From MSN Money. Good Article. Read it!!

They could tie her to a chair, tape her eyelids open, put a TV in front of her, turn it on and play the Kardashians and Jersey Shore over and over and over and....either that or play Obama and Romney campaign ads non-stop.

I love how any time some body old commits a crime, prosecutors always say they won't do any time due to their health and age. So if you want some thing illegal done, find an old person to do it and give them a cut. Nobody will get in trouble if you get caught. If you don't get caught more money for the both of you.

As fas as SS benefits, why not, I have paid 1,260,000 (including interest paid by banks to Feds for borrowing my money, and adjusted for inflation) to them including sometimes employer parts, but that was also mostly me, so I just started and get about 26 K a year, but then they steal about 120 each month for medicare that I also paid to all my life, so go and figure, they are banking on how stupid people are!

ian,

When you learn to understand and appreciate a play on words, sweetheart, you'll be on your way to developing a sense of humor. Good luck .... it appears to be a long journey.

IA.Scooter, could you please tell me what time and channel your comedy show appears??? good grief...you always have me in stitches...if you don't have your own show yet, the scouts aren't doing their jobs.

I have done nothing and already have to see and hear Obama and Romney ads non-stop

please tell me his name was Bernie

GaryColumbus - $28,000. in 18 months breaks down to $1,555. a month. Just where exactly is that considered a damn good income? Ya, she was 'livin large' alright!

People,

Simple math here 28,000/18 = $1555.55 a month! That is a measly retirement check! It is not high!

Yeah TXHorseman, is that the article about the Bain Capital guy, Romney's buddy, a very unbaised person with a deep sense of understanding what the Middle Class is experiencing these days? Yes, the only person looking out for you is you, I totally agree, but unfortunately, there are also plenty of people out there trying to screw you as well, like engaging in risky and unethcial practices that cause you to lose your job. A lot of hard working people have had that happen to them, thru no fault of their own, try starting over at age 56, like I did, it aint easy, this Bain guy is self-possessed and arrogant, but why should that be surprising. I'm getting tired of some posters saying most people want someone else to take care of them, while that may be true in some cases, my experience is that most people want two things today:

1. An environment which provides a fair and equal opportunity to do something for themsleves, and

2. not have some greedy corporate/banking types screw them over, like what happened with the toxic asset financial derivatives 4 years back.

Most Americans have a very good work ethic, but most Americans also don't like getting screwed, especially by people who already have lots of money.

It's not a good income. It's sad. On the other hand, depending on what she was getting from Social Security and maybe or maybe not a pension, $1,500 a month would be very tough to give up. Additionally, they are still investigating whether or not Mr. Zigler received Veteran's benefits. If he was and depending upon how much, the not a good income might not be livin' large but it might be pretty decent with all of these sources combined.

I have done nothing and already have to see and hear Obama and Romney ads non-stop

..........Switch to the golf channel, it will quickly put you to sleep and you won't miss a thing.

Roadhouse,

I had friends that worked for Enron, so yes I do understand. I want back to college at 30 and changed jobs at 46 too! I lived through $6 per barrell oil when the oil industry was desimated and bankrupty was the norm for too many business people in West Texas. It took 20 years for that to change.

"there are also plenty of people out there trying to screw you as well, like engaging in risky and unethcial practices that cause you to lose your job. A lot of hard working people have had that happen to them, thru no fault of their own, try starting over at age 56, like I did, it aint easy"

I don't disagree, but if it happens you can't wait on Uncle Sam to pull you out cuz he has already spent the money that was supposed to be there to help you! The American ideals and greed of American started way back in the mid 70's. This is not new!!

I think she should be able to keep that money ..after all she did take care of him for those 18 months ! She kept his home up for the both of them so she would be like a skilled care (maybe not so skilled care) worker.She must have felt as a wife after many years together ..common-law ? Hope she gets some medical care herself ..

I don't disagree, but if it happens you can't wait on Uncle Sam to pull you out cuz he has already spent the money that was supposed to be there to help you!

.........and I agree with you, but I think most Americans aren't expecting handouts, what they want to see is their, and I stress "THEIR", government passing laws and imposing regulations to prevent recurrences of Enron, Worldcomm, LIBOR, toxic asset financial derivatives, etc., but we see certain members of Congress and their campaign contributing benefactors digging their heels in and refusing to do so. From the stories I've read and news reports I've seen, that is what most of the complaining is about, not getting handouts. Most people want jobs, and decent enough paying jobs, as they see top corporate management making larger and larger incomes, while their's stagnates or gets reduced. The Bain guy says work harder, well from what I've read, a lot of Americans are working harder and longer, but the financial gains are going to the people at the top, not them. The future of our country depends on getting the Middle Class back into a healthy state.

Gross

TXHorseman'

in the first quote(1.16), the article said Washington needed to tell the populace to "get smarter, work harder"

How many are already doing this yet are falling further behind because they are doing these things for lower and lower wages, while living expenses are increasing so the corporations can continue to reap massive profits? Supply-side economics will implode because it cannot support itself. You need the buying power of a strong consumer base in order to create a demand for your products. So, people go back to school, get degrees that are nothing more than a piece of paper in today's job market. The workforce is becoming "degree-saturated" thus reducing the value of obtaining said degree. Next, the person has to support themselves and eventually, begin paying back the exorbitant costs of getting what may now be a worthless degree.

Uncle Sam says, "work harder!".

Populace says " i already am working 2-3 minimum wage jobs! How much harder can I work?"

Uncle Sam: " Get smarter! Work harder!"

Pay workers a livable wage and things will improve. How is it benefiting us as a society, to concentrate the wealth at the top?

We are not asking for anything for free. Only that the business owners show appreciation for us making them rich by sharing some wealth through better wages. Let our time spent with you better our lives, as it is yours. Then we can all help build a base that our children can build their dreams on.

Okay - I read the original article a while ago when this was first discovered and it said that after many attempts to contact Charles Zigler by telephone, and hearing repeatedly that he had just stepped out, why did it take this concerned family (son, mostly) SO LONG TO CALL 911??? Somebody with COPD does not go very far, at least not without oxygen in tow. If he died from his COPD, it was pretty advanced, and his family should have been much more present and active in his life. Concerned my ass.......the son is guilty of being negligent in my opinion. How do you let so much time pass without speaking to your sick parent before you do something about it??? Doesn't make sense to me.

"It's not that I'm heartless," Linda Chase told the Jackson Citizen Patriot. "I didn't want to be alone. He was the only guy who was ever nice to me." Chase kept the body clean and in good condition in her home for the past two years. One of the couple's favorite activities? Watching NASCAR races.

"I'm going to prison. I told them [the police] the truth. I didn't lie about that," Chase explained. One person in particular is not happy about Chase's actions. Wally Zigler, Charles' son, was upset about being kept from his father's body.

"That wasn't right to leave him [laying] like that," he noted. Police are also describing the case as "bizarre" and have said that the investigation will take some time, due to the unique nature of the case.

Read more at #BbQ6MpoSD3hiOpPr.99

Honestly, I feel bad for this woman. Yes, she absolutely broke the law. Yes, she should have done the right thing by Mr. Zigler, and his crappy family, and notified the coroner that he had passed away. I am saddened by the comment that she made saying he was the only guy who was ever nice to her. After 72 years, that's a long and tragic life. It's not like she denied anything to the authorities, she fessed up and acknowledged she would be prosecuted for forgery/fraud.

Obama_is_a_Loser, I have news for you genius... Capitalism is based off of wanting other peoples money and is the center of your conservative world! The only problem with Capitalism is that the greed factor takes over as soon as a private company gets too big for its britches. I understand greed exists throughout this country but big business is at the forefront of the problem.

Here we have an old woman, most likely in ill health, perhaps without family of any means who are willing to take her in and, her long time companion dies on whom she has depended for many years. The choice might have been to create this sham and keep a roof over her head in the harsh Michigan winter, food on the table or, live on the streets. Not saying these are the circumstances she faced but, I have a feeling they're darn close. Yeah, I think a lot of people who were as desperate as she would do the same and, I wouldn't blame them.

18 months, in the house, seams to me somebody should have noticed something.

" return of the working STIFF" ,even if not working she still vampired off of his checks

Some of you people posting here should go after the banks who robbed the world blind with the same verosity..geeze. Not saying what she done was right but were so quick to impose the nail in the coffin on eachother while the bigtime thieves milk us out like cows and throw away the carcus. Go ahead and throw her in jail and throw away the key too, then the taxpaters can shell out another zillion to house her...go figure. Its easy to figure out on these sites who the conservative nut bags are, just look for the posts with extreme penalties...is life that miserable for you right wingers? I guess mine would be too if I let myself be made a total clown out of and if I had no ambitions nor self respect...makes me sick.

Besides the last rant, that takes a special breed to live a normal life while the dead guy is lounging on the recliner..i see a new episode of "Law and Order". This lady obviously knew something about the law by not touching the body? Its not the worse thing people have done today...you can be having a heart attack in the public and people will walk right by you when your dying and someone else will come up and empty your pockets..which one is worse? just sayin.

I wonder if he voted a straight Democratic ticket in last year's election ! You know how those Democrats are for "getting out the vote". LOL !!

Now that we may be in global warming, oh canada aint lookin so bad. Then the loonie heartless conservaturds can make eachother miserable to their hearts content.

Or maybe, instead of Weekend at Bernie's, maybe Year and a Half at Bernie's.

He looks "mummified" even when he was alive. How can you tell the diff. Cigarette in one hand, no teeth left in his mouth. Looks like king "tut" to me.. Believe me medicare has a dental plan. He chose not to use it. I live in NC and see all kinds of toothless wonders around me all the time. Its gross, and unhealthy.

I mean how do you eat corn on the cob?? Chicken?? A steak?? Damn it man, get dentures for Christs sake. The stink must have been unreal. But then maybe he never showered, and it was a normal smell. Like following a manure truck...Yummy smell

"An autopsy determined Zigler died of natural causes -- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease."

And the photo confirms it.

But. . . . are they certain it was natural? Maybe she crimped his O2 tube.

GaryColumbus

Since when does any beneficiary get $28,000 in retirement benefits in 18 months? That sum seems suspiciously high to me. By the look of the feller in the picture, bless his soul, he doesn't appear to be the kind to make that kind of money. 28 thou in 18 months for a retiree is damn good living if you ask me!

Gary, disability and retirement benefits are based on how much you earned throughout your lifetime. Instead of being surprised at how much benefits he is getting you should be saying, "Damn, he worked hard all his life!" It is a shame that people begrudge what others get or have. Always afraid that someone will get a better deal. You don't care that man worked hard, probably sacrificing much. All you can see are dollar signs.

Obviously the woman is a democrat, taking money that wasn't hers.

hubydoll166

Some of you people posting here should go after the banks who robbed the world blind with the same verosity..geeze. Not saying what she done was right but were so quick to impose the nail in the coffin on eachother while the bigtime thieves milk us out like cows and throw away the carcus. Go ahead and throw her in jail and throw away the key too, then the taxpaters can shell out another zillion to house her...go figure. Its easy to figure out on these sites who the conservative nut bags are, just look for the posts with extreme penalties...is life that miserable for you right wingers? I guess mine would be too if I let myself be made a total clown out of and if I had no ambitions nor self respect...makes me sick.

If you have ambition and self respect, take a course in 7th grade English.

Those damn Liberals will stop at nothing. They love another persons money. Even if the other persons DEAD. Viva Conservatives. Black Pride!

The liberal was the man in the chair. The conservative was the one robbing the dead man even in death.

WHERE in this article is the political persausion of either the deceased or the elderly lady EVER mentioned. The vampires, the heartless asshats, the theives etc... are more likely the ones making the derogatory comments than this old lady!!!! Why the hell does anybody think they need to drag politics into this type of story?????? Honestly, take your stupid agenda's and I think you all know what you can do with them!!!!

1500.00 a month is NOT high living!!!!! In the winter the heating bill alone probably takes a huge chunk of that money!!! It sounds like this woman has some mental issues and deserves our sympathy more than condemnation!!!!

Save your hate, your nasty rude remarks, your condemnation etc.. etc.. for the real theives, vampires, scumbag... The politicians and the corporate SOB raking billions while refusing to pay their employees living wages or give them health insurance. You know those companies that are notorious for keeping people hours just short of full time so their not eligble for benefits... those SOB's that get bailouts from the government while getting FAR FAR more than $28,000 a year in bonuses!!!!!!!!!

george pauljohn

This is what our elderly have been reduced to. gee thanks Bush.

Just a little secret you can share with your libby friends BUSH HASN'T BEEN PRESIDENT IN 4 YRS WE HAVE ANOTHER BOZO IN THERE NOW GET OVER IT

The liberal was the man in the chair.

And undoubtedly going to vote again this election

colieruth..... I agree with everting you posted except that she broke the law. I'm betting she did not sign his name on the checks, just slipped em in the bank and paid the bills like she always did. Her old Hunny is like oozing away in his chair. No complaints from him and most old people can't smell. I'm betting he didn't smell that good when he was alive. So after all these years of peacefull co- habitation, he just stops. Prolly didn't talk much and was just the best kind of companion. So there she is, his family isn't the thinking about how toall that interested and if she lets him go she's all alone. I'm willing to bet she just didn't know what to do and day drifted into week into month. Didn't you ever just put something off and figure you'd take care of it soon?........

I would guess initially there may have been an odor, but if the humidity levels are low enough, odor from the decay wouldn't be overpowering, from what I understand of body decay. Then again, if the woman has health problems, she might not have a very good olfactory sense and therefore might not smell it. Depending on where they live (i.e., rural), it's likely no one ever came around the house and chanced upon the smell of a rotting corpse either.

What amazes me more is that no one missed him for 18 months. Seriously?! 18 months and you don't wonder where your friend has been? 18 months and he hasn't been to any family functions? 18 months and a family member FINALLY calls the cops to report him missing? That's the most bizarre part of this story.

could be tom, but then again looking at the picture, how do you know he didn't smell that way naturally?.........:)

@Tom- You know too much about bodily decay. lol hmmm

Only because I grew up on a farm, Blake. I assure you that is the ONLY reason I know about such things.

(That's my story and I'm sticking to it.) :-D

He probably smelled worse when he was alive - dying might have been an improvement..

WoW, I guess, she bought LOTS of little "pine trees" to dangle on the corpse, and many cases of air-fresher sprays, with some of the money......

I wonder if his chair was right on front of the TV ??? She probably had to pry the remote from his rigored hand, but Definitely, no more arguments on what was going to be watched on the tube anymore... ; )

@Tom...stick to your story...what else did you do on that farm to those animals..lol

P.S...what a dispicable old bag. Hope she didn't spend it all and some of the money can be salvaged (but I doubt her greed left anything)

Oooh that smell, cant you smell that smell...

He must have smelled like MONEY !!!

Actually, I'm kinda backing the old gal. Where was her friend's family? Obviously they didn't care enough about him while he was alive to take him, so she did and took care of him. And obviously they didn't care enough about him after he died to wait almost two years before mentioning something about not seeing him. She didn't do anything to hurt him; she didn't kill him. And, yes, she did something illegal by forging his measly pension and social security checks. But we're talking only a paultry $28 grand, rather small chump-change in the grand scheme of things. It wasn't like she was some eight- or nine-figure-a-year corporate CEO that decimates a company in a matter of months and then leaves with a golden parachute to do the same to another, or some other billionaire corporatist that funnels all his money through some off-shore islands so he doesn't have to pay taxes, or, worst of all, a politician. She took care of him when no one else would and then he died. Sounds to me like she deserves that 28-grand.

America produces more goods then ever. The american people get less and less. Film at eleven. oops sorry, we lost the film. /facepalm

I'm sorry Jerry but you are wrong...obviously you've never had anyone in your family who has "detached" themselves from the family because of things that they have done or are doing. The questions is did she have the right to cash his checks - NO....she should go to jail for the rest of her life but that won't happen and if she does....the government can take care of her for the rest of her life. Society is breeding this mindset of "Oh well I will take what I can get...doesn't matter who's it is or whether I deserve it or not"

Jerry...I agree with you entirely. It sounds to me like hulamama51 is one of the angry relatives that didn't care. Anyway, after reading all of these posts, you were the only one to show a little compassion. Does it make it right for what she did? NO, but she still took care of him. He was probably her only companion and when he died she was devastated and more than likely panicked into a state of despair, desperation, and fear. This was her only companion, provider and life, you take those away and what do you get? Complete devastation and at 72 there aren't alot of options remaining. So instead of judging entirely, lets look at the bigger picture and show a little compassion. Should there be restitution? Absolutely, but lets not villainize her just yet. Is it sick and twisted? Absolutely, especially in our eyes where we are safe with our spouses, our homes, our lucrative jobs, our friends...so of course it is. Looking from someones eyes that has nothing, no income coming in, no companionship. no future and suddenly in a flash its all gone..yeah I can see why she held on for so long and became lost in her despair. Am I saying that we should do that? NO, this is an isolated case and lets just not be too quick to judge.

Maybe Chuck always had a funky stench about him and poor old Linda Lou didn't notice the odor and though he was just passed out as usual.

Given the looks of Chuck in the photo, it looks like he may have spent a whole lot of time passed out in that cloth recliner over the years.

All she could smell was free money.

TiredofBS - I'm not the angry relative - I have compassion for people also....but you draw a line at some point. I agree that she is sick mentally but she did know how to sign the checks.....that didn't stop her. Was he her only friend and where was her family....probably 2 people who lived unto themselves.....I know first hand because I have people like that in my family....do I still love them ... yes but they have distanced themselves either because of alcohol or drug abuse or they are just takers and not givers. Most of the time they have "used" up their family & friends and latch on to someone who is of like mind...such as these two.

C'mon now ! how do you know she hasn't been cleaning and taking care of their place all by herself ! She might even have been still talking to him ..I know my gf keeps talking long after my ears have closed ! Could have been a couple of lonly hermit types !! Not like she wiped out evryones 401k like the bankers did ! Leave her alone and get her a doctor to check her out !!

hopefully she used alot of FABEZE! or the scent of fresh green money !

Skeleton in the closet...

hulamama51-maybe you should stop assuming that the situation is even remotely the same as what you've been through without a whole lot more facts!!!!!! Just WHO did she really even hurt?????? A government that steals us blind at every opportunity???

The multitude of (supposedly) funny and smart sbout "the smells", etc....are just immature and totally unecessary.

hulamama51

I'm sorry Jerry but you are wrong...obviously you've never had anyone in your family who has "detached" themselves from the family because of things that they have done or are doing. The questions is did she have the right to cash his checks - NO....she should go to jail for the rest of her life but that won't happen and if she does....the government can take care of her for the rest of her life. Society is breeding this mindset of "Oh well I will take what I can get...doesn't matter who's it is or whether I deserve it or not"

I never said she had the "right" to do it - I said I can undersand why she did it. She gave her all taking care of him as her expense, so she deserves renumiration. You said you dealt with family members who were boozers or druggies or whatever, and you deserve to get the money for it. Well, I'm sorry you had to deal with that. Well, obviously, you didn't deal with that. If you had, I'd have a sense of compassion for you. But you obviously didn't. You deserved nothing from whatever family member suffered from addiction or obsession. She did. You don't. You lost out on the cash. Maybe if you had been more supportive you could have. Get over it. Pay for the kitchen counter-tops yourself.

stone her? burn her at the stake? have her drawn and quartered? How about an old fashioned keel hauling? ( haven't had one of those for a spell.) ....what ya got in mind? we could leave loose the hounds i suppose, But as she is 72 Years old it would hardly be worthy of pay per view.................:)

Obviously, it wasn't right of her to cash his benefit checks. She needs to be held accountable in some form or fashion for that. I live near Jackson MI and know they lived very poor lives. Again, not saying this makes her actions less criminal, but she was a poor old woman who by all accounts was sad that her only friend passed and away, and on top of that probably needed his rent money.

Over 18 months she collected $28k - it hardly made her rich, and from the sounds of it she wasn't exactly living the high life. She had to live with a dead body in her lay-z-boy to get those checks AND we have a mildly amusing news story out all this. I say just let the poor old woman off the hook.

technically, he still resided at her house :D

yes a movie deal is a great idea.. it would be 'return to the BATES motel'

The county chief assistant prosecutor wants her to make restitution to...? What she got was social security, some pension benefits and possibly some VA disability. So the lawyer would go after the social security and VA benefits to reimburse them to the US government?? Maybe he ought to concentrate on bigger fish, first. 28 grand in 18 months? Really? Even a lawyer sucking at the public teat makes 28 grand in just a few months!

Gosh, if she's not going to be charged, maybe SSI isn't in such bad shape after all. Are times changing this fast? It's gotta be fraud or an extreme mental case. Either way, some action needs taken! They surely won't leave her to reside alone.

Good point Rob. She takes my money while I'm alive so why shouldn't she when i'm dead. Lol.

Ever stop and think it was the only way she could survive....what do you suppose she receives in soc sec payment.. probably half what an illegal alien with 4 kids gets........

stone her? burn her at the stake? have her drawn and quartered? How about an old fashioned keel hauling? ( haven't had one of those for a spell.) ....what ya got in mind?

Well I was thinking...just maybe...Prosecute her and if found guilty then convict her based upon her crime and not her age. Novel idea huh?

Shhs! I guess when I reach my 70th birthday I'm going to go rob a bank and not worry about being prosecute or the circumstances because, what the hay, I'm old.

Look at it this way Julie, if, at 70 yrs old, they do convict you, you will receive three square meals a day, free medical care, and your own room if you plead guilty in exchange for a minimum security prison.

Beats the heck out of a nursing home!

If you are 70 plus and robbing a bank, obviously you are quite competent and should be charged. This is MUCH DIFFERENT! She kept her boyfriend's dead body in her home for a year and a half. She watched NASCAR with the dead body. She didn't want to lose her companion, and she probably couldn't afford to live on her own. Whatever her reasons, whatever her age, somebody who cleans and attempts to maintain a relationship with a corpse is not playing with a full deck or is beyond desperate. She should not be let off the hook, but she should not be incarcerated for the rest of her life. I didn't see anything that said this was a pattern for her. Nothing that said she had been convicted of fraud or forgery prior to this incident. She's not a career criminal, but she is an old woman who has run out of options, it seems. Hopefully all the people posting negative comments have lots of family and friends to take care of them when they get to that age. It would be a shame to see them resort to desperate measures after a life-changing event like this, although I would be lying if I said I wouldn't enjoy seeing those people eat their words.

and chump change compared to the fraud that happens on wall street each day.

dumb question....the answer is glaringly clear.....well for most anyway..........:)

She's 72, probably had an oxygen tube up her nose, made likely by the cigarette in her boyfriends hand in the above picture (though if she was with a man that smoked, she probably smokes too.) So the likelihood is that she didn't smell a thing, especially if you add the smell of cigarettes to the equation.

she and thousands of others here in the USA would probably had smelled it but in desperation cashed his checks.. repayment is a joke..I mean if she was cashing someone elses check where would the money come from..??? she was left stranded but the good old USA and that is sad. very sad..

There is not much "common" about what she did. To leave him sit in Wisconsin, which is not the most arid state in the US, had to have been interesting to say the least. I think she's a sad woman who could not let go of life as she knew it. Criminal as to cashing checks, but I don't think her idea was to make a buck. I think more she just didn't could not deal with the idea of moving on with her life. Too big a leap into the unknown at her age. I have an elderly mother and change is really, really hard for her and she fighte tooth and nail to stay as static as possible.

I agree with you Kat in regard to older people not liking change as a motivator in this situation. As I have gotten older, it is harder for me to keep up with the things that I did easily when I was younger. I try to create habits on which to rely instead of memory. I am fairly certain that this was a factor in her decision to do what she did.

Another probable motivation was the prospect of abject poverty. My guess is, she had a choice of creating this sham or living on the streets. In her case, I think the smell of desperation overpowered that of a slowly decaying body and the consequences of her actions once she was found out.

No doubt, PlainTruth. The other big motivator I see is loneliness and the idea of having no one to be with or with whom to talk. It's tough and I feel for her. Life is very unfair to the elderly.

She had no choice, it would appear she was living on his income before he died. At 72, she may not be all there anyway, she may be senile like my 90 year old grandmother who thinks the government installed a chip in her arm and is tracking her by satellite even though she rarely leaves the nursing home and is of not importance to society or security.

Dude does look like a typical NASCAR fan, lol

They were in Michigan so most likely an Indy 500 fan, formula 1 racing.

Scooooter...you HAD to do it again.....you should be a pro blogger! &;-)

how do you know her "forging" wasn't a weekly occurrence before his death? Good grief girl haven't you ever been married?.................:)

Senility doesn't require one to be completely lucid to sign a name to a check. Senility makes people crazy, not stupid or void of cognitive functioning.

Too true, ScooterTramp. I don't think my husband's endorsed a check in the eight years we've been married. Nothing shady about it ... he never remembers, and I'm the one who does the banking.

Most Social Security checks these days are direct deposited into a bank account. They probably had a joint account. If that's the case, then no forgery would have been necessary. She would have just continued to write checks off of the account and/or make withdrawals.

gary,

How dare you sir? introducing common sense into a vine article? you should be banned for life ...BANNED i say...what in the world were you thinking? what would happen if this trend were to catch on? imagine the chaos that could cause !... i mean really, people actually thinking AND using their computers at the same time? bet you didn't think of that now did you?...........oh wait....this is the vine after all,.... luckily for you, but next time think a little before unleashing such outrageous thought patterns.............................:)

Looking at the picture above, her bf was a smoker, she may be a smoker too, but even living with a smoker can cause serious lung problems, so she very well may have been wheeling around an oxygen tank with tubes up her nose. Combine that with the cigarette smell and the smell of the 30 cats she likely owns and it becomes plausible that she didn't smell the rotting corpse at all.

"Waisting" JCE... Really ???

I agree. She wasn't greedy, she was just trying to survive. It's not as though our society or government makes an effort to take care of all the indigent seniors out there who don't have a family support structure.

I'm sure anybody can make the argument that they "needed it." Those weren't her checks; she shouldn't have cashed them.

I suppose you'd be okay with somebody stealing your identity and maxing out a bunch of credit cards in your name because they "needed the money," correct? By your logic, you should be.

your right SD,

By god she should have just stole a shopping cart and...............

Yes, stealing a living persons identity and maxing out credit cards (presumably on stuff you don't need) is nearly the same as a destitute old woman feeding herself and paying the rent. Totally the same thing, really, and wow you sure succeeded at making me feel like an idiot for having compassion for the old!

So Jenny, when I'm old, you'll have compassion for me as I go around picking pockets and shoplifting because I "needed" to? Awesome! Send me your name, address, and phone number so I'll know whom to contact when I need bail money.

Thanks sweetie!

SDGirl,

I suppose you'd be okay with somebody stealing your identity and maxing out a bunch of credit cards in your name because they "needed the money," correct?

If I'm dead, as this man clearly is, people can do whatever the F they want with my identity, I won't be using it.

Yeah,cigarettes,beer and lottery tickets get expensive after a while !!

If it's okay for somebody to do that to you when you're dead, VirginiaDemocrat, it's okay for them to do it when you're alive. If it's not okay, I'd like to know why not.

Well SD,

If I am dead....I really dont care now do I? So she cashed $28,000 worth of checks over an 18 month period. Ok, let me do the math here..............Thats roughly 1800 in a year and "roughly" 1500 a mont. What other income does she have?

My grandmother is 69 and my grandfather passed last year. She barley has enough money to make it now and would not have had enough if her daughter had not moved back in with her.

My point, the 72 year old here needed the money to live. The guy was dead. Your argument is only valid if you have a living person.

Did she think the man was going to live forever? I'm sorry, I don't care how old you are. You have to plan for stuff like this, and that plan shouldn't involve forging signatures on a dead person's checks.

SDGirl you are making the wrong comparison. This discussion is about someone dead and gone She is not doing things to any living person. (well except the gov. and our money). What you describe is someone robbing you while you are alive. You are mixing apples and oranges, please get on track. Cool photo though, SD...

Thanks Justme! I love that pic.

I may very well be mixing apples and oranges. You're probably right about that.

I just wonder if everyone would be so compassionate if this were a younger woman. Would they be so quick to take her side and say everybody should just leave her alone.

Oh I see what I am dealing with here. Sorry for waisting your time. You already have all the answers.

SDGirl

If I was dead. No, I would not mind at all if someone did that. Sorry

Some how this got lost on a different page.

SD,

No one is saying what she did is not wrong. I think, and I will speak for myself here, that she was doing what had to be done to live. Right or wrong, I do not blame her in this situation. And I mean "this" situation. Does that make it right....No. I just don't care that she did it.

Now take someone like me our you....totaly different. I would still have compassion, depending on circumstances. You cant just blanket every situation with the same thinking. Stealing is Stealing.........Open up and look at the whole picture. I do not think she should just get off with nothing either. But, I certainly would not push for the death penalty here.

Show some compassion for a human being.

SDGirl

I think someone is a tad bitter. I am sorry

My mom is 73 and is the director of DSS for the county she lives in. She manages over $1,000,000 in funds every year and oversees 83 employees.

Can she forge signatures on checks and get a hug from you guys, too?

Maybe growing up in a home where I heard about people who defraud and abuse various systems meant to help people has left me a bit jaded. I don't know. My mom was a food stamp fraud investigator for about ten years, then worked with Medicaid clients for about eight years. She's the director of DSS now, after earing her Master's degree last fall at the age of 72.

In the end, none of our opinions really matter. They're not going to affect the outcome of this situation, whatever it may be.

Here's another way of looking at it: That $28,000 is surely less than the Medicaid and other indigent expenditures she would've accrued as someone who resided in a nursing home but had no means of paying for it.

If you look at it that way, she saved money somewhere, for somebody.

Does she have you for support? If yes, the answer is no.

If she has no one and faces the chance of having no food or electricity and dieing a horribly slow death........Sure hugs for all.

@SD

It's not the same thing, this is her partner.

What if he told her that she needs to do whatever to survive?

If you have problem, take it to the big banks, they stole billions annually and the government allows them to do that.

Where are all the outrage?

No, she has over $300,000 in savings from years of putting money away for her old age. What a scumbag my mom is. Sheesh.

CuongDNguyen,

Sorry, I had red herring for lunch. Not interested in another one now.

Why do people like you automatically assume that just because I don't like to hear of fraud, waste, or abuse, that I am a champion for corporations, big banks, or any other people or entities that steal? I AM NOT! I think they all need to be held accountable for the wrongs they've committed!

That is great that your mother has had the opportunity to put up money. The sad thing is, a lot of folks do not have the luxury, or face an illness like cancer that took all my grandparents money from them.

Again, Open your eyes and look around. The world is not this cookie cutter scenario you think it is.

I do not know why I am even waisting my time with this. Like I said, you already have all the answers.

It appears what we have here is a very sad case where there is much speculation and few facts. We do know that she did not kill him. It's not very probable that she had a lot of friends given the whole dead body in the recliner for 18 months thing. One thing that I have not seen considered here is the cost of prosecution would be fairly substantial and in all likely-hood the chance of any meaningful restitution is low to non existent at best.

SD .. I agree with you - she broke the law...it has not been established yet if he also had military benefits that she had access to + her own Social Security. My Dad lived on his SS until he died at 80...wouldn't take money from us....paid his own way and drove an old truck. He didn't want anything that wasn't HIS....point is - it wasn't HERS !!!!

28k for 18 months, do the math, could YOU live on it? poor health no friends or family......wow compassion is written all over your post. we are talking about an old lady surviving here as best she can, not some ghetto queen with umpteen kids scamming the system.

Social Security is also theft; an intergenerational ponzi scheme.

JEM,

Do you even know what a Ponzi Scheme is?

Tell you what, I'll give you a chance to prove yourself. Tell us 1. what a Ponzi Scheme is and 2. tell us how Social Security fits into that category.

Just because some mentally handicapped Texas Governor (we've known two of those in the last 15 years) said it, doesn't make it true.

Scootertramp, yes I could live on that. A lot less than that, actually.

I have compassion, but where do you draw the line? If you let her walk, who else gets off the hook for fraud? And I don't care how you spin it. This IS fraud. She forged this guy's signature on his checks and cashed them. That's check fraud, and it is illegal. It doesn't matter how old you are or what your circumstances are. It IS illegal.

So where DO you draw the line, Scooter? Who do you prosecute and who do you just wink at and let them go? I'm really curious.

I call B.S. Jem, get some facts.

Parroting talking points is merely an uninformed,illinformed lazy thought pattern that is predominate and possessed by those sheeple incapable of forming their own independent thought ... for your information. i and my employers paid into ss for 40+ years, the politicians saw it as their own little piggy bank.then allowed people who have never ever invested one red cent into it draw from it. those are the reasons , and THE ONLY REAL reasons that the SS system is where it is today. simple solution? quit giving our tax dollars away to the Mideast and other places and PUT IT BACK WHERE IT BELONGS !!!!

well enough being serious for one day...............:)

sd

good question. but what if you bust her? then what? 72 poor health? just what this country needs a "handicapped penitentiary", i can see it now....rows and rows of handicapped parking, ramps everywhere. oversize toilet stalls, daily senior menus from 2-4 PM, white belts with matching shoes as part of their prison ensemble, wigs, orthopedic shoes, on and on and on ................:)

(warned you all, i hate being serious on here)

What if this had been a 20-year-old? A 30-year-old? Why the HELL does age matter?

I still would like an answer to my question as to where we draw the line on this. At what point do you stop convicting people when caught committing a crime?

She probably used it to buy cigarettes. You know how smokers are. Cigarettes then food then housing then medical care and after looking at him with no teeth all rotted away from smoking she probably looks the same

@ VirginiaDemocrat78...1. Ponzi scheme you put in in hopes of returns. You get little returns or none and you lose. 2. SS you put in in hopes of returns. You get less than what you need to survive and gets worse each year with hopes you die soon. How are theydifferent???

@SD.... Those who have no sin shall cast the first stone. Does your bag have stones or sins also.

S.D.

on a case to case basis utilising a large amount of that rare commodity called "common sense" ...if... and i reiterate.....IF.....it still exists. now if you will excuse me i gotta get to work, have a pleasant day.

Just read your other post SD and you are correct. If it were a younger woman by a big age difference that would be diferent. But we are talking about an older (old) lady. Well, you know. But I am totally against stealing and cheating like others mentioned for drugs, lazy nonworkers, troublemakers and so on...

SDGirl

It wasn't a 20 or 30 year old person. It's an old woman for crying out loud. Sheesh. You better stop now or NO ONE will help you in your time of need. Just sayin

SD girl i might agree that it is fraud, but put yourself in her shoes for a minute would you have had done the same thing in her shoes, this is where i would show a little compassion for the lady for what she did was out of necessity and survival....are jails are full enough now at it is.....

SD -

Everybody should be prosecuted for crimes they commit. No question about it. Penalties however is a different story. A 20-30 year old woman would, assumingly, be able to find work somewhere, somehow. When before a judge, the 20-30 year old woman would have no valid reason to commit this type of crime, and should be given a sentence that reflects the facts of the CASE.

That is not true for your average 72-year old woman. There are limited income opportunities available to people over retirement age. I mean, how many greeters does WalMart need? So, this 72 year old woman is standing before a judge, as she should be. She should also be sentenced based on the facts of the CASE. The facts of her case and the facts of the younger woman's case are different. That's what I think you are overlooking.

Here's a question for you: A woman walks into a supermarket with her 3 year old child and steals a loaf of bread and some peanut butter. Another woman walks into the same supermarket by herself and steals a T-Bone steak and some wine. Both women get caught. Both women have to go to court.

Now, lets forget the value of each item stolen, that doesn't change the fact that both cases are shoplifting cases. Should they be charged and convicted and sentenced equally? Clearly the woman stealing steak and wine is not doing so out of need. And, on the flip side, the woman stealing a loaf of bread and peanut butter is doing so to provide protein and carbohydrates enough for several days for her child.

Any judge is going to listen to the facts of the case and sentence accordingly. I know that fraud and forgery are different from shoplifting, but you are arguing that crime is crime is crime no matter the circumstances.

didnt work...................................:0

She loved it stayed hard for a year she could use it any time she wanted

Well, maybe he was a douche bag.

you're blaming the victim? seriously? so sad. so sick. praying for you.

That's the heart of the matter, Jerseybadger. For whatever reason, I'm gusssing he and his family had broken ties. For all we know, he'd told Ms. Chase that he didn't want to accept any calls from kinfolk, putting her in an awkward situation.

Then the dude takes a forever-nap in the Barcolounger. Chase knows she will be Suspect#1 of helping Zigler "go home". Even if the guy passed naturally, she might feel she was responsible. Maybe the guy was refusing prescribed medication. Think about a wrongful death suit. So what does she do: just try and keep up appearances. There are no red flags as long as she keeps cashing his checks.

As a veteran, Zigler was eligible for a no-cost burial or inurnment in a veterans' cemetery, but the family is still responsible for all funeral expenses. Since Chase served as the de-facto funeral director, I would propose her forgery charges be reduced by the amount of the average U.S. funeral. If investigators found her freezer stuffed with lobster tails and filet mignon, forge on. Otherwise, leave her alone.

shoot and i done lost my chuck decoder ring........................:)

goood point..................but the original article a week or two ago explained all that, why it was omitted now i haven't a clue...............................

The original article said that she had been telling the family that he had just stepped out or wasn't home. I would probably have called the police within the first week of leaving messages with no response. 18 months is tragic!!! I don't think the original article spoke about how close the father and son were or were not, and I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the son was the problem...I only say that because he apparently had the time to call his father, but never the concern to call the police until 18 months later. Seems like he really didn't care that much.

twue, she is just a itty bitty, wittle gurl, so she should not ever have to pay for a crime. she's just a wittle, bitty gurl!

note: no female wants ever sexual equality, unless it means shes get something more, legally or financially. if it means having to pay the same price for a crime....look out for the crocodile tears, fellas. they're gonna flow like rain.

hahahaha great job Russ......heres your cookie..................:)

Right, because dead people smoke cigarettes after they die all the time.

and hang out in bars....hey i think i use to see him down at............................:)

Natural as opposed to him being murdered. Disease is about as natural as it gets.

The article clearly states that she signed and cashed them. That's forgery.

cable, three hots and a cot, room service( guards) free everything........not a bad plan at least there you wont have to worry about an seiu strike.................:)

Blah, Blah, Blah.........

agreed bear, and may i add........

those without humor are truly poor..............................

Always a whiner in every crowd. Let's get back to the fun

Is Chri Cox serious???

You can keep your judgment of me to yourself. I will do the same for you.

@chri cox: I didn't know we had "old folks' jails". Okay, lets send her to one. I'll bet you'll be the first in line to compllain that your precious tax money is funding her breakfast of watery grits and green bologna lunch sandwich.

ChriCox, the key words are, "dead man". I don't know but I'm pretty sure he doesn't care. And, though we have no way of knowing, maybe he would have wanted her to be taken care of after his death. Don't assume anything. As for the $28 thousand, the court costs alone would take more than that and it wouldn't deter any other "criminal" from doing likewise. They just get smarter. She seems quite desperate to me... living in the house with a dead person. The smell had to be horrible.

"Old folks jails" are everywhere.

They're the end of the line nursing homes. It's where a poor but sane old folk is stuck in the same room with an equally poor but raving demented lunatic who won't shut up, let along turn down the rancid television show; where the preacher from the hell fire and damnation church comes around to tell people that they're going to hell; it's where the Sunny Cheerful Faces sing outside the door when person inside is trying to make it to the bathroom; where the food is the same white bread and green glop with salmon squares that's featured in Mary Worth comic strips; it's where the nurses, health aides, whoever is at the desk at night wakes people up to give them their medicines; it's hell on earth, just this side of the state penitentiary. In another world, it would be the Hotel California, where you can check out at any time, but you can never leave, but without the pretty boys, the music, the dancing, the fine wine or anything else that would seduce you into staying.

When did you die?

Did she leave you still sitting in the same chair, too ???? With or without the remote??

Inquiring minds have to know !!! Slow-news-day and all..... ; )

great one denver......you can have a whole bag of cookies.................

Please stop. I don't want people thinking i'm on drugs laughing over here. Have to act serious. Lol