Man admits to hiding cousin’s body in closet for over 8 months to collect benefits

A con man reportedly stuffed the body of his military veteran cousin inside the former soldier’s mobile home closet and lived there with the body for over eight months to collect his benefits.

Steven M. Blankenship, 59, pleaded guilty to hiding the body of his dead kin, US Marine Michael S. Blankenship, 72, and then collecting his state benefits – all while living in his trailer in Fairfield Township, NJ.com reported. 

Steven, who acted as his older cousin’s caretaker, admitted during an Oct. 9 hearing that he hid Michael’s death from officials so that the dead man’s benefits and checks would still roll in for his own taking, the outlet reported.

He’s accused of scamming the state of thousands of dollars. 

Authorities uncovered the scam after finding the Marine’s body while responding to a wellness check at his mobile home at Evergreen Estates in April 2025, court documents show.

New Jersey State Police said they noticed a smell “consistent with decomposition” while knocking on Michael’s door, according to the docs.

The veteran’s body was found soon after officers entered the house and followed the stench of death.

Troopers discovered Michael’s corpse wrapped in three layers of plastic in a bedroom closet, which had been sealed by duct tape on a door without a knob, the records said. 

The officers also discovered a telling note — they believe was written by Steven — inside the trailer home.

The note revealed that Michael had died from “dementia-related causes” months prior on July 27, 2024, and that its author had been using the dead man’s credit card and income to make purchases due to his own decline in health, cops said. 

A grand jury indicted Steven on theft and desecrating human remains charges in July 2025. 

The crummy cousin initially rejected a plea deal that would have sent him to prison for 12 years before his recent guilty plea, in exchange for a 10-year sentence.

Steven is also required to pay $15,000 in restitution to the New Jersey Department of Labor.

He is due back in court for a sentencing on Dec. 11. 

Michael, who was discharged from military service in 1970, was finally buried with full military honors in 2025.