Steven M. Blankenship, 59, pleaded guilty to hiding his cousin’s corpse and stealing his benefits.
The New Jersey caretaker admitted during an Oct. 9 hearing that he concealed the death of US Marine veteran Michael S. Blankenship, 72, for more than eight months inside their shared Fairfield Township mobile home. Steven had served as his older cousin’s caretaker at Evergreen Estates before the scheme unraveled in April 2025.
Authorities discovered the gruesome scene after responding to a wellness check and detecting a smell “consistent with decomposition” while knocking on the trailer door, according to court documents. Troopers entered and followed the stench to a bedroom closet sealed with duct tape on a door missing its knob.
Inside, they found Michael’s body wrapped in three layers of plastic. Officers also recovered a handwritten note they believe Steven authored, which stated Michael had died from “dementia-related causes” on July 27, 2024. The note further explained its author had been using the dead man’s credit card and income to make purchases, citing his own declining health as justification.
The admission came after Steven initially rejected a plea deal carrying a 12-year prison sentence. He ultimately accepted a 10-year term in exchange for his guilty plea. He must also pay $15,000 in restitution to the New Jersey Department of Labor.
Prosecutors say Steven collected thousands of dollars in state benefits meant for Michael during the months he lived with the rotting corpse. The fraud continued from July 2024 until the April 2025 wellness check exposed the deception.
A grand jury indicted Steven on theft and desecrating human remains charges in July 2025. The case moved quickly to resolution with the October guilty plea.
Michael, who left military service in 1970, received full military honors burial in 2025. The delayed interment came only after authorities finally recovered his remains from the closet where his cousin had stashed them.
Steven’s sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 11.