Man Being Sentenced After Hiding Marine Veteran Cousin’s Body in Closet for 8 Months to Claim Benefits

A man has admitted to stashing his U.S. Marine Corps veteran cousin’s dead body in a closet in order to falsely collect the man’s benefits for more than eight months.

Steven M. Blankenship, a 59-year-old from New Jersey, pleaded guilty to second-degree desecrating human remains charges and third-degree theft by deception charges after hiding his cousin’s decaying remains in the trailer they both lived in long after he had passed away, according to an Oct. 9 hearing reported by local news outlet NJ.com.

Authorities indicted Blankenship in July 2025 and accused him of hiding the July 2024 death of Michael S. Blankenship, the 72-year-old Marine veteran who was honorably discharged in 1970.

Following his service, Michael Blankenship worked as a forklift operator before retiring with a disability in 2001, according to an obituary cited by NJ.com.

Steven Blankenship acted as his cousin’s caretaker, the New York Post reported. Authorities have also charged Steven Blankenship with third-degree fraudulent use of a credit card and fourth-degree tampering with evidence.

The case is likely to cause anger among veteran communities. Allowing a veteran’s body to decay in a trailer denies them the dignified, honorable burial that veterans will say he earned through service.

How the Investigation Unfolded

The investigation began in April 2025 after New Jersey State Police troopers attended the trailer the two lived in for a well-being check.

No-one answered the door. Troopers reported an odor “consistent with decomposition,” according to court documents cited by the publication.

They opened the door and found Michael Blankenship’s body wrapped in layers of plastic and stashed in a closet. The closet door was sealed with electrical tape and the door knob had been removed.

Police also found a note indicating that Michael Blankenship died on July 27, 2024, from “dementia-related causes.” They said they believed Steven Blankenship wrote the note, which also said Steven Blankenship left the body on the floor for two days before sealing him in the closet.

Also, Steven had used Michael Blankenship’s income to pay his bills.

Blankenship has been ordered to pay around $15,000 in restitution to the state’s Department of Labor. He also pleaded guilty in return for prosecutors agreeing to recommend a prison sentence of 10 years, having previously rejected a plea offer that would have sent him to jail for 12 years.

Blankenship’s sentencing in court is scheduled for Dec. 11.