Son Kept Mother's Corpse in Freezer for 5 Years 八里老婦病逝後 被兒子藏在冰箱5年

The body of an elderly woman who died five years ago was recently discovered in a freezer at her residence in New Taipei City. The woman's son told the police he wasn't able to bury her because his business dealings failed. This incident was reported when the man's daughter told her friends at school that her grandmother has been hiding in a freezer at home. The police have ruled out homicide, but discovered the son had collected NT$630,000 in benefits using his mother's name over the past five years.

Reporter: “Did you abuse your mother?”

A man surnamed Ban is surrounded by police officers as he enters the police station. He doesn't answer any of the questions directed at him. The man is suspected of placing his mother's corpse into a freezer at the family residence after she died, and keeping it there for five years. 

Nearby Shop Proprietor: “When you asked him about his mother, he always said his mother was at a nursing home.”

The police investigated after being notified by New Taipei City's Department of Social Welfare. They opened up the freezer and found the withered remains of the mother. The son claimed he couldn't afford to pay for his mother's burial after his business dealings failed. The police have ruled out homicide, but believe there were other ulterior motives.

Kuo Huai-tse, Captain, Investigation Brigade, Luzhou Precinct, NTCPD: “The family member was familiar with the situation, so why didn't he report it when it happened? The body wasn't discovered until now. We will continue clarifying the facts.”

This situation came to light after the suspect's daughter, a 16-year-old, blurted out that her grandmother was hiding in a freezer while chatting with friends at school. The department got involved, and discovered that Ban continued collecting benefits using his mother's name after she died. He collected at least NT$630,000.

Chang Chin-li, Commissioner, Dept. of Social Welfare, New Taipei City: “After she died, he didn't go to the household registration office to cancel her household registration. We believe that he was deliberately hiding this situation to fraudulently collect benefits.”

The department said Ban is also suspected of domestic violence and his child has been removed from his care. He will be investigated for document forgery.

記者問班姓男子：「有沒有對母親家暴啊?」

員警戒護下走進派出所，各種問題都不回答，班姓男子涉嫌把母親遺體放進自家冰箱長達5年時間。

附近店家表示：「問他(母親)，他就說他媽媽在養護中心。」

接獲社會局通報，警方上門調查，打開冰箱後，發現遺體已經乾枯，事發在新北市八里，班姓男子辯稱，因為經商失敗，母親過世後，沒錢無力下葬，雖然警方排除他殺，但也懷疑當中另有隱情。

新北市蘆洲分局偵查隊長郭懷澤表示：「家屬應該都知情，那至於為什麼沒有在這個第一時間來呈報，而是在現在才發現，這部分我們還會再深入釐清。」

因為嫌犯女兒昨日在學校聊天，脫口說出祖母躲在冰箱，全案才因此曝光。社會局介入後，更發現班姓男子在母親死後，仍利用她的名義申請福利補助，初估至少盜領63萬元。

新北市社會局長張錦麗表示：「案母其實離世之後，這個爸爸都沒有到戶所去除戶，所以我們也懷疑，這個爸爸是要刻意去隱匿這個狀況，來詐領福利的補助。」

不只詐騙補助費，社會局也表示，由於班姓男子涉嫌家暴，目前已經把小孩緊急安置，全案目前將朝偽造文書罪嫌偵辦。