GUILTY OR - William Richardson, 76, found dead in freezer, Medford, 28 Jan 2006

http://www.katu.com/news/local/5525376.html

Construction workers repairing burst pipes at a man's home discovered the body of a man in a freezer on site. The workers had been told by Paul Mahanna not to remove the freezer while they were working on pipes in his garage. They were getting ready to go and were prying a blanket off of the chest freezer that had been frozen to the freezer lid when the body was discovered.

Identity of the body has not yet been determined, Paul Mahanna has been arrested. More at link.

http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2007/0204/local/stories/freezer_neighbors.htm

Mystery deepens in this case. Report says the person found in the freezer may have had cancer. It is believed to be the body of the homeowner identified in the story as William Blakely Richardson.

This is a strange case. I wonder if William had family? I saw no mention of family in the articles, and if he had family I would think that they would have helped with funeral arrangements.

He returned to the shelter with no head hair and looking frail, which supports the cancer treatment story so far. But, did he die of natural causes or was he murdered? If he died of natural causes, I wonder why he would have been wrapped in duct tape and put in a freezer. Presumably, Paul at least placed William in the freezer.

I wonder if Paul placed William in the freezer because for some reason William asked him too(rough cryonics?). Or perhaps William was receiving a pension/social security and Paul has been cashing it since William's death. Or maybe, Paul murdered William and was hiding his body.

Lion

MEDFORD, Ore. — The frozen corpse found in a Medford garage last week has been identified as William Blakely Richardson, who owned the house where the body was discovered, authorities said.

Richardson likely died from cancer in early 2006, when he was 76 years old, said James Olson, the deputy state medical examiner who completed the autopsy Tuesday.

Investigators believe his partner, Paul Henry Mahanna, 58, placed Richardson’s body in the freezer to conceal his death for financial gain, Medford police Lt. Tim George said.

A Jackson County grand jury indicted Mahanna on charges of identity theft and abuse of a corpse.

The identity theft charges are linked to payments an insurance company made under Richardson’s homeowner’s policy last month for repairs of damage caused by frozen pipes, George said.

A construction worker helping to replace water-damaged drywall in the garage opened the chest-style freezer on Wednesday and found the body wrapped in duct tape. The autopsy was delayed for several days because the body had to thaw.

George said investigators suspect Mahanna claimed to be Richardson in other cases and may have been collecting his pension.

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200670207005

July 2007:

Judge rules for probation in freezer body case

http://www.mailtribune.com/article/20070703/NEWS/707030320

A Medford man who kept his deceased partner's body frozen in their home was ordered to serve probation and pay back his partner's retirement benefits.

Paul Henry Mahanna pleaded guilty Monday in Jackson County Circuit Court to charges of abuse of a corpse and identity theft. Because prosecutors could have filed additional counts connected to Mahanna's theft of his longtime partner's pension and Social Security, the 59-year-old decided to plead guilty, said Mahanna's defense attorney Don Scales.

Agreeing with Scales' argument that Mahanna was grief-stricken when he wrapped the body of 77-year-old William Blakely Richardson in duct tape and placed him in a chest freezer, Circuit Court Judge Patricia Crain reduced the felony corpse abuse charge to a misdemeanor. She also allowed Mahanna to seek reduction of the felony identity theft once he completed two years of probation.

"I do believe you have been severely punished already," Crain said.

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