Identified! CA - Out-of-town family finds unidentified body in freezer of home they were staying at - Dec 23, 2023 - Mary Margaret Haxby-Jones

[Cedars]

My guess is squatters. There are plenty of cases where a vulnerable elderly person was "taken care of" by someone who after the elderly died, took the house over and collecting the checks and never reported anything to authorities.
The various drug and overdose calls to the address point to that. I doubt Mary made them or used drugs.

I don't agree this is a case of squatters. IMO, that implies people who set up residence in the home when it has been abandoned.

If someone is murdered, or disposed of by people who want to live in the home, they would be 'murderers' or 'fraudsters'. They would be committing major crimes of theft of the value of the home, its assets, and the benefits; identity theft, and possibly forgery, illegally disposing of remains, etc, and would receive jail terms because of the level of greed and malice that would motivate such crimes. There is no defense to crimes of theft and fraud called 'squatters rights'.

I believe it takes a lot of time to build the case, because of how far back it goes: LE will try to determine, as precisely as they can, when Mary Margaret died. Or at least, the last date she was seen alive.

From that point, they will look for evidence of actions taken to conceal her death, steal her benefits, etc: who precisely undertook those actions, precisely when, precisely how.

LE/prosecutors can't be vague, or charges won't stand up in court.

In one case, the perpetrators produced letters from various locations/letterhead, purporting to be from the victim who had gone travelling, which were proven to be fraudent because police found a hotel receipt proving the perps had been staying in the hotel at the time a letter was sent.

In another case, the perp had to get a woman to impersonate the victim in an interview with social services - eventually she confessed in exchange for immunity.

If pension/benefit companies are smart, they should periodically send a letter requiring the recipient to sign off that they are who the benefits are intended for. So the person collecting benefits has to commit fraud to continue to receive them. Otherwise, there is potentially an excuse of ignorance, mental health problems, etc.

JMO

 

[dalsglen]

Still nothing...

 

[x_files]

Still nothing...

so weird...I hope they are investigating!

 

[Izzylizzy]

Still nothing...

I find it so bizarre that local reporters aren't pushing for updates/statements and how there's been no leaks just crickets.

 

[x_files]

I find it so bizarre that local reporters aren't pushing for updates/statements and how there's been no leaks just crickets.

Not enough reporters to investigate. The only ones I see digging fr any answers often are TikTok.YouTube True crime influencers, but NOT in this case, unfortunately.
I think there are more cases than funds to fully investigate.

 

[Charlot123]

I find it so bizarre that local reporters aren't pushing for updates/statements and how there's been no leaks just crickets.

Possible elderly abuse not investigated, SSI mishap, and she was a veteran, too. Too many potential scandals at different levels. No one wants to be in the spot.

 

[Izzylizzy]

Not enough reporters to investigate. The only ones I see digging fr any answers often are TikTok.YouTube True crime influencers, but NOT in this case, unfortunately.
I think there are more cases than funds to fully investigate.

I guess that a dead woman being found in a freezer and maybe was there for 9 yrs didn't peek enough interest, even though there were others living in the house throughout.
Even the neighbors were mostly mum.
Looks like Mary's tragic mystery could be on it way to being frozen.
No pun intended.

 

[Charlot123]

If pension/benefit companies are smart, they should periodically send a letter requiring the recipient to sign off that they are who the benefits are intended for. So the person collecting benefits has to commit fraud to continue to receive them. Otherwise, there is potentially an excuse of ignorance, mental health problems, etc.

JMO

Respectfully snipped and bolded by me. This is why these cases need to be known nation-wide. Some changes to prevent misuse of finances can be implemented at least. Your idea is very solid. Even if nothing happens with this case, some future changes are necessary to prevent such situations.

Own observation dating back: a street with houses built in the 1950es. The people living there are also old and infirm. They have one advantage, in their generation people were trained to pay attention to neighbors, but new information, sadly, doesn’t register. If I see that someone is not noticeable around (the change is slim - I try to avoid them, I have introduced myself so many times already, to no avail), I might assume that the wife has died and, given that the guy is old and grieving, decide not to bother him. I can see it happening everywhere and really, there are few ways for the society to notice what’s going on. But it doesn’t mean that we should allow such things happen.

 

[Izzylizzy]

Possible elderly abuse not investigated, SSI mishap, and she was a veteran, too. Too many potential scandals at different levels. No one wants to be in the spot.

Yikes!
I hadn't even thought of those possibilities.

I would think Mary's yearly income required her to file with the IRS.
Between SSI, pensions,military etc.
There had to be lots of cha-ching coming in monthly.

 

[x_files]

I guess that a dead woman being found in a freezer and maybe was there for 9 yrs didn't peek enough interest, even though there were others living in the house throughout.
Even the neighbors were mostly mum.
Looks like Mary's tragic mystery could be on it way to being frozen.
No pun intended.

We just need to send a young TIK-TOK influencer they'll crack the case.

 

[x_files]

I don't agree this is a case of squatters. IMO, that implies people who set up residence in the home when it has been abandoned.

If someone is murdered, or disposed of by people who want to live in the home, they would be 'murderers' or 'fraudsters'. They would be committing major crimes of theft of the value of the home, its assets, and the benefits; identity theft, and possibly forgery, illegally disposing of remains, etc, and would receive jail terms because of the level of greed and malice that would motivate such crimes. There is no defense to crimes of theft and fraud called 'squatters rights'.

I believe it takes a lot of time to build the case, because of how far back it goes: LE will try to determine, as precisely as they can, when Mary Margaret died. Or at least, the last date she was seen alive.

From that point, they will look for evidence of actions taken to conceal her death, steal her benefits, etc: who precisely undertook those actions, precisely when, precisely how.

LE/prosecutors can't be vague, or charges won't stand up in court.

In one case, the perpetrators produced letters from various locations/letterhead, purporting to be from the victim who had gone travelling, which were proven to be fraudent because police found a hotel receipt proving the perps had been staying in the hotel at the time a letter was sent.

In another case, the perp had to get a woman to impersonate the victim in an interview with social services - eventually she confessed in exchange for immunity.

If pension/benefit companies are smart, they should periodically send a letter requiring the recipient to sign off that they are who the benefits are intended for. So the person collecting benefits has to commit fraud to continue to receive them. Otherwise, there is potentially an excuse of ignorance, mental health problems, etc.

JMO

The govt usually takes SS FRAUD cases pretty seriously. Maybe they found the person but it's not being reported publicly.

 

[Cedars]

The govt usually takes SS FRAUD cases pretty seriously. Maybe they found the person but it's not being reported publicly.

Mary Margaret's cause of death hasn't even been announced. That is required by law (even if it's 'undetermined'). It can take a long time to do that kind of medical and forensic testing on remains in that condition. Then LE have to work with ME/Coroner to investigate the manner of death: was it natural, accident or homicide. And then investigate who put her remains in the freezer. Then, was there fraud, etc.

There is no option for authorities to not bother investigating, it is required by law, and will be publicly announced when determined. It may take time, just be patient.

(News reporters and social media cannot do these things: determine cause and manner of death, and whether charges should be laid. All they can do is speculate ).

JMO