New Hanover County deputies yesterday arrested the daughter of a woman found dead in her home months after she died. The discovery of Blanche Roth's body came after a 911 call to dispatch Tuesday. It's the anonymous call that finally alerted authorities to the death of 88-year-old Blanche Roth.
Caller: we have an older, elderly lady in the house, who has died and we need her taken to the morgue.
911: and how long ago was it that this happened?
Caller: uh, I don't know I'm going to say a month.
911: ok, you believe that she passed away a month ago?
Caller: yeah. 911: alright, but she's still in the house?
Caller: yes
Who that caller is, and what prompted him to report the death, have not yet been released, but when New Hanover County deputies arrived at 612 Cherry Laurel Court, they found something they hadn't expected.
"You wonder what would go through someone's mind to not report a relative dying. We're trying to, at this point figure out, there's got to be more to the story" said sheriff Ed McMahon
Blance Roth's decaying body was lying in a room. Investigators believe it had been there since the spring. Authorities are now saying five people lived in that home, including Roth's daughter, Amy Blanche Stewart, and her three children. Stewart is charged with concealing Roth's death and more charges could follow.
District attorney Ben David said "We're looking to see whether or not any financial benefit was obtained by failing to notify law enforcement that this woman had passed away several weeks or even months ago"
It's still unclear to detectives what killed Blanche Roth, and exactly when she died. Detectives are awaiting results of the autopsy to fill in those blanks.
Amy Stewart is out of the New Hanover County jail on bond. She is scheduled to make her first appearance in district court this morning.
What effect will this have on those Children
I Remember when my mother died. My children were so upset. I took them to the coffin and explained to them that she was not in pain anymore. That she was at peace and one day we would see her again. That helped them to accept losing their grandmother. What kind of nightmare must it have been for those children with their grandmother rotting in the bedroom next to where they were sleeping and eating. I just pray they did not see her after she was decaying for months.
Perhaps it's not being
disclosed due to the ongoing investigation. But the children are hardly children.
One in the late teens and 2 in the 20's, of which one is married.
Hardly sounds like innocent children to me.
Nice.
The only reason I could see for somebody concealing the body for this long is because the elderly woman was still receiving social security checks and the family was getting them and cashing them. What a sick family. I hope DSS gets involved because of those children.
My question
Is how in this world could some one LIVE IN THAT SMELL!!@!!????? if you smell someone that has died and the body is left. there is no other smell in the world and how could some eat, sleep and shower, watch tv in that smell and no the other person is in the other room. I hope the money was worth all of it. because it is awful
You never see it all!
This is one VERY disturbed person!! She should be tucked away from society for a very long time for the sake of others.....
Just wow.....