Corpse in the Closet: Kansas Couple Allegedly Hides Death for Years to Collect $215,000

In a shocking case from Overland Park, Kansas, a couple is facing charges for a macabre deception involving the fraudulent collection of over $215,000 in retirement benefits on behalf of a deceased relative. The story unraveled when authorities discovered the body of Mike Carroll, aged 81, concealed inside the couple’s home six years after his recorded death in 2016.

Mike Carroll’s pacemaker provided a chilling timestamp of his demise, yet Overland Park police only stumbled upon his mummified remains in 2022. The bizarre saga took an even darker turn as Lynn Ritter and Kirk Ritter, both 61, allegedly continued to deposit and spend from Carroll’s bank account, maintaining a facade that he was still alive.

Lynn Ritter, identified as Carroll’s daughter, seemingly orchestrated the elaborate ruse, leading family members to believe that Carroll was alive and well. The couple provided a series of dubious excuses for Carroll’s apparent absence, weaving a web of deception that persisted for six years.

The Ritters are set to appear in federal court on February 2 to face charges related to this twisted scheme. Phone and email attempts to reach them went unanswered, and as of now, court documents do not specify a defense attorney representing the accused couple.

Prosecutors revealed that over the six-year period post-mortem, Carroll’s pension and Social Security payments amounted to a staggering $216,067. Bank records further indicated checks written from Carroll’s account, allegedly cashed by Lynn and Kirk Ritter, exposing the extent of their deceit in this unsettling tale of financial fraud and deception.