New Jersey Con Man Hid Marine Veteran Cousin's Body in Closet for 8 Months to Steal Benefits

A New Jersey man has admitted concealing his elderly cousin's body inside a bedroom closet for more than eight months while continuing to collect his government benefits and use his credit card.

Steven M. Blankenship, 59, pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the death of Michael S. Blankenship, a 72-year-old former US Marine who had been living in a mobile home in Fairfield Township.

Prosecutors said Steven, who had been responsible for caring for his cousin, deliberately concealed the death to maintain access to his income. He now faces a recommended 10-year prison sentence.

Marine Veteran's Body Hidden Inside Sealed Closet

Michael reportedly died from dementia-related causes on 27 July 2024. Rather than notifying authorities, Steven allegedly wrapped his cousin's remains in three layers of plastic and placed them inside a bedroom closet.

He then sealed the closet door with duct tape and continued living in the mobile home at Evergreen Estates, despite the body decomposing inside. The arrangement continued until April 2025, when authorities conducted a welfare check at the property.

Investigators discovered the remains after noticing a strong smell of decomposition. They also reportedly recovered a handwritten note believed to have been left by Steven, explaining his cousin's death and his financial motives.

The discovery prompted a criminal investigation into the circumstances surrounding Michael's death and the suspected misuse of his benefits.

Although the case involved the concealment of human remains, Michael's death was attributed to natural causes rather than homicide.

Steven Blankenship Faces 10 Years in Prison

A grand jury indicted Steven in July 2025 on charges including theft and desecrating human remains. Investigators determined that he had continued receiving money intended for his deceased cousin while also using the former Marine's credit card for personal purchases.

Steven initially rejected a plea agreement carrying a proposed 12-year prison sentence. However, he subsequently pleaded guilty under a revised arrangement recommending 10 years behind bars.

As part of the agreement, he must also pay $15,000 (£11,250) in restitution to the New Jersey Department of Labor. His sentencing is scheduled for 11 December 2026, although the final punishment remains subject to the court's approval.

Michael, meanwhile, was laid to rest with full military honours in 2025, recognising his service in the US Marine Corps.

Similar Cases of Fraud Involving Dead Relatives

The case is not the first involving Americans who concealed relatives' deaths to continue collecting government payments.

In 2019, New Jersey resident Sylvia Wilkerson was sentenced to five years' probation after admitting she fraudulently collected approximately $272,000 (£204,000) in benefits intended for her deceased father.

Authorities said Wilkerson continued receiving his Social Security, disability and pension payments for more than 12 years after his death in September 2004.

Another New Jersey man, Steven Jones, pleaded guilty in 2024 to stealing more than $600,000 (£450,000) in federal retirement benefits intended for his deceased father.

Jones allegedly falsified his father's death certificate and arranged for another person to impersonate him to prevent the payments from stopping.

However, Blankenship's case stands out because of the prolonged concealment of his cousin's remains inside the same property where he continued living. His guilty plea brings the criminal proceedings closer to a conclusion, with sentencing expected in December.