57‑year‑old Italian, posing as his dead mother to renew her ID, is found to have lived off her pension; police now uncover her mummified body at his home.
Impersonation and ID Renewal
A 57‑year‑old man from Borgo Virgilio, Mantua province, disguised himself as his deceased mother on 11 November, wearing a wig, jewelry, the woman’s clothes, applying makeup and painting her nails. He then went to the civil registry office to renew the 85‑year‑old’s identity paper.
The employee noticed his baritone voice and the presence of hair on his neck and beard, and that he had arrived by car even though his mother had never held a driver’s licence.
Police Interrogation and Pension Fraud
Police were alerted and contacted the man, telling him that the renewal was incomplete and that his mother must appear again at the office. When he returned, officials directed him to a police station about a mile down the street, where he confessed that he was the woman’s son and had been collecting her pension for the three years following her death.
Macabre Discovery at the Residence
Investigators searched the man’s home and found the mummified body of his mother in a closet in the laundry room. Sources indicate he was an unemployed nurse who had used his knowledge of body fluids to preserve the corpse and prevent decay.
An autopsy will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death. According to reports, the woman may have died of natural causes, and the family possessed three houses and some land.
Mayor Francesco Aporti described the case as “very, very sad” in an interview with Corriere della sera.
