Man found dead in a freezer had notarized letter saying his wife wasn't responsible for his death

[fleur-de-lisa]

https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/19/us/utah-body-freezer-notary/index.html

When Jeanne Souron-Mathers died in November, police in Tooele, Utah, were startled to find the body of her husband Paul in a chest freezer at the couple's home. That wasn't all. Police also discovered a notarized letter from Paul stating that his wife was not responsible for his death, according to a search warrant unsealed this week. Investigators now believe that Paul Mathers died a decade ago and are investigating the possibility that monthly payments to him from Veterans Affairs and Social Security kept coming in after his death.

Paul Mathers is believed to have died between February 4, 2009 and March 8, 2009, Hansen said. He had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and was being treated at a local Veterans Affairs medical center, Hansen said, and was last seen there on February 4, 2009. But before he died, Paul Mathers wrote a letter stating his wife was not responsible for his death, and that letter was notarized in December 2008, the search warrant said.

"Detectives tracked down the notary and she said she didn't read it, she just stamped it," Hansen said.

Sgt. Hansen declined to disclose Paul Mathers' illness. Jeanne Souron-Mathers, 75, died in November from what appears to be natural causes, Hansen added.

[rzemanfl]

1. As close to a perfect crime as can be, except for the cost of running the freezer. n/t

[marble falls]

2. Now THIS is weird. He obviously was taking care of his wife financialy by this.

[packman]

3. What a fuckin' shame a person - both of the deceased

had to do this to survive.

[sdfernando]

4. Accroding to my Dad US Army (Ret.)

He said a lot of vets don't make arrangements for their spouses on retirement. If they don't then all the money goes to the vet and once the vet dies all payments stop. Leaving a lot of vet spouses destitute. My Dad specified a portion of his retirement to be held in reserve for my mother so should he die 1st she will have income. Takes $$ from the front end though so a lot of people don't do it....unfortunately my mother passed on before my Dad...but he did take care that she wouldn't lose all income if he died 1st.

[dewsgirl]

5. Shouldn't a Notary read what they are stamping? I have used

them, but honestly have no clue.

[Paka]

6. All that the Notary does is attest that you are the person signing.

They do not attest to anything that is in the document, therefore, no need to read.

[dewsgirl]

7. Oh thank you. I feel kind is silly not knowing, I just get the stamp/

signature when necessary. I never even really thought about it.

[Paka]

9. In my earlier life I worked for a law firm and was a notary.

If it pertained to a case I worked on I usually knew what was in the document, but random notaries have no need to know.

[dixiegrrrrl]

8. Hmmmmmmmmm......n/t