© 2026
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Scam Advisory: We have been made aware that an online entity is posing as Joe Donahue to invite authors and other creatives onto our radio shows. The scammers then attempt to charge guests an appearance fee for exposure/publicity.
Please note: WAMC does not charge guests to appear on the station and any email about appearing on a WAMC program will come from a wamc.org email address.

Woman Sentenced For Storing Mother's Body, Cashing Checks

Picture of a judge's gavel
WikiMedia Commons

A Mohawk Valley woman is going to jail for keeping her 93-year-old mother's corpse for over a year so she could cash her benefit checks.

Mary Kersting of Gloversville admitted in September that she cashed her mother's Social Security and pension checks totaling nearly $14,000 while the woman's body decomposed in an apartment downstairs.

Authorities say Hope Ruller died in October 2013 from unknown causes. Her 60-year-old daughter lived upstairs from her.

Kersting was sentenced in Fulton County Court on Friday to two six-month jail terms to be served concurrently. Then she'll also be on probation for five years and must do 500 hours of community service.

Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.