An Italian man is facing accusations of wearing his deceased mother’s clothes to fraudulently collect her pension while keeping her body hidden at their residence. The 56-year-old man, a former nurse from Mantua, reportedly managed to obtain thousands of euros before his scheme was uncovered by authorities in Italy.
Allegedly, he stored his mother’s lifeless body, Graziella Dall’Oglio, at their family home for about three years after her passing at the age of 82. Instead of reporting her death, he concealed her remains by wrapping her in a sheet, placing her in a sleeping bag, and hiding her within the house.
The man purportedly disguised himself as his mother by styling his hair similarly, wearing makeup like lipstick and foundation, adorning a necklace, and even undergoing a makeover reminiscent of the movie “Mrs. Doubtfire.” He attempted to renew his mother’s identity card at a government office in Borgo Virgilio, but his impersonation raised suspicion among staff due to discrepancies in his appearance and voice.
Upon scrutiny, officials compared photos of the real Ms. Dall’Oglio with those of her son, leading to the discovery of the deception. The man had been illicitly benefitting from his mother’s pension, amassing an annual income of approximately £47,000 and owning multiple properties.
Following his arrest, authorities found Ms. Dall’Oglio’s mummified body concealed in the laundry room of their residence. The mayor of Borgo Virgilio, Francesco Aporti, described the man’s failed impersonation attempt and the peculiarities that alerted officials to the deceit.
The investigation into the man includes charges of illegal concealment of a body and benefit fraud. Italy’s military police confirmed the condition of the mum’s body and transferred it to a local hospital for further examination. The peculiar case has left many questioning the circumstances surrounding the mother’s demise and lamenting the tragedy of the situation.