Family admits burning body, cashing government checks for years

ST. LOUIS (AP) Three relatives of a Missouri man have admitted to burning his body, and then cashing his Social Security disability checks for nine years.<br/><br/>All three will face sentencing in February

Tuesday, December 5th 2006, 2:22 pm

By: News On 6

ST. LOUIS (AP) Three relatives of a Missouri man have admitted to burning his body, and then cashing his Social Security disability checks for nine years.

All three will face sentencing in February after pleading guilty in U.S. District Court. In addition to jail time, prosecutors say the three relatives must pay back about $133,000.

Prosecutors say the wife and children of Larry McWilliams moved the body to a trash-burning area behind the house after McWilliams died in 1997.

Prosecutors say they burned the body to hide evidence of the death, with the wife tending the fire to make sure no bones were left unburned.