W.Va. man accused of living with mom’s decomposing body and collecting her benefits

KANAWHA COUNTY, W.Va. (TCD) -- Officials have arrested a 41-year-old man accused of living with his mother’s dead body and using her Social Security benefits.

According to the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, on Thursday, June 1, shortly before 10 a.m., Legal Process Division officials and Belle Police officers responded to a home in the 400 block of 5th Street to serve Peggy Johnson an eviction notice. At the scene, authorities reportedly noticed "suspicious signs coming from the inside of the home" and "no indications of anyone present."

Police entered the home, where they located Johnson’s decomposing body. Detectives also found her son, Michael Johnson, "hiding inside a closet," and he was taken into custody. During an interview, he reportedly confessed to living with his mother for the past few years and revealed that she died in December 2022.

Peggy Johnson allegedly received around $1,000 in monthly Social Security benefits, and her son "continued receiving and using those benefits after her death." In total, Michael Johnson reportedly used about $5,000 to $6,000.

According to the Sheriff’s Office, Johnson was not on his mother’s accounts, nor was he authorized to collect or use his mother’s Social Security benefits. Deputies arrested him on charges of obtaining money, property, and services by false pretenses.

Johnson was arraigned June 1, and remains held in the South Central Regional Jail on $2,500 bond.

Due to the severity of the victim’s decomposition, the Sheriff’s Office said the remains have not been positively identified, and the West Virginia State Medical Examiner’s Office will perform an autopsy. Officials noted that they believe "the person has been deceased for quite a long time."

MORE:

• News Release — Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office