Authorities have found skeletal remains of a Ukiah woman whose death was concealed for as long as a decade by her now-deceased daughter in order to use the mother’s bank account, police said Monday.
The matter, which Ukiah police are investigating as a suspicious death, was discovered April 24 in the 700 block of El Rio Street after police were contacted by the elder woman’s son, according to a news released issued by authorities.
No names have been released and no arrests are expected to be made because the lone suspect is now dead, officials said.
The man, who told police he lived out of state, said his mother lived with his sister in Ukiah. He returned to Ukiah last month because his 58-year-old sister was hospitalized and later died.
He told police he last communicated with their mother before she died in August 2013.
The sister claimed their mother’s remains were transported to a “medical research facility” as per her wishes and no alarms were raised because the mother had been in poor health, police said.
Following the sister’s death last month, the man was at their home and discovered financial documents in his mother’s name, including banking and checking account activity.
“This was odd as his mother’s accounts should have been closed approximately 10 years,” according to the news release.
Authorities said there is no official record of the mother’s passing and investigators suspect the daughter hid her mother’s death in order to keep the bank accounts open.
“This would allow her to maintain access to her mother’s finances,” police said. “Documents located in the residence supported this suspicion.”
Skeletal remains were discovered on the property and a pathologist concluded the mother died of natural causes.
Police added: “Due to the fact the sister (is) now deceased, a lack of additional investigative leads and no evidence supporting a homicide, this case is no longer under investigation.”
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