MARINETTE, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A woman who did not report her mother’s death for as long as four months — keeping the body in a bathtub so she could cash her Social Security checks — was convicted Tuesday.
Paula Bergold, 61, pleaded no contest to hiding a corpse. Counts of failing to report a death and obstruction were dismissed. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 5, court records show.
A neighbor called police last September because they hadn’t seen Ruby Bergold, 89, since May, and Paula was being evasive about her mother. When police arrived at Ruby Bergold’s Town of Peshtigo home on Sept. 13, they found notes taped to the window stating “Ruby has gone out of town to visit some friends of ours. Paula.”
Paula let police in. They were unable to locate Ruby, but noticed several things of concern, including unopened mail, and a box of Borax.
Police returned to the home a few days later. Paula then admitted her mother was dead, and the body was still in the house, in a tub covered in plastic.
According to the criminal complaint:
Paula had told them that she had found Ruby Bergold dead in the chair upstairs. This would be the chair the deputies found covered in Borax. Paula said she wanted to call the police when she found Ruby, but just couldn’t bring herself to do it. She kept thinking she would call tomorrow but never did. When her mother’s body began to smell, Paula decided to get the container from the basement. She placed Ruby’s body inside and dragged it down to the basement and placed it where it was found. Paula said she put Borax on the chair and on her mother’s body due to the bad smell.
The detectives asked Paula about her mother’s finances and how Paula receives money. Paula said that she has been living off of her mother’s income, which was (Social Security), stocks, and dividends from her father’s retirement. Paula said that her father set up a trust for all the money and residences, and it was in the bank’s hands. Paula said that she was concerned about the money, and that played into her decision to not report her mother’s death.
A specific date for Ruby’s death is not provided in the complaint.
An autopsy confirmed the body was Ruby, but a cause of death is not provided. Paula told investigators she did not cause her mother’s death, and there are no such charges.
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