Oregon Man Accused of Hiding Mother’s Body in Freezer to Keep Collecting Her Social Security Checks

A 68-year-old Portland man, who was frightened that he would become homeless, hid his mother’s body in the kitchen freezer so that he could keep collecting her Social Security checks.

Portland police found the body of the 104-year-old woman when they responded to a welfare check in Northeast Portland last week.

According to court documents, the police received a call from a man who said his brother had told him that he intended to place the body of their mother in the freezer so that he could keep on collecting her Social Security checks.

When the police arrived at 1515 NE 28^th Avenue on January 21, Richard William Vinyard (68) admitted that his mother was inside the ‘ice-chest.’ He said he was frightened that he would become homeless if he did not have her Social Security checks to pay towards the rent.

He said the old woman had died two days previously, and he decided to place her in the freezer because he was frightened that she would begin to smell. He also told the police that he had measured his mother’s body to make sure that she would fit inside the freezer.

The police made the grim discovery when they inspected the freezer. Vinyard was taken into custody but has since been released from jail on his own recognizance.

He is charged with first-degree criminal mistreatment and theft, and second-degree abuse of a corpse.