A man accused of helping a woman ransack her father’s grave in search of his “real will” has pleaded guilty and prosecutors in New Hampshire say he should have to help out at a cemetery as part of his sentence.
New Hampshire man Michael Day recently pleaded guilty to digging up the grave of business man Eddie Nash. Day was acting as a part of a conspiracy at the behest of Nash’s daughter. What they hoped to find in the grave was Nash’s “Real Will.”
Although reports of the incident do not state it, the obvious implication is that Nash’s daughter was not happy with the will that was discovered after Nash’s death. However, why anyone would think that a will would be buried with the deceased remains a mystery.
In any event, no will was found in the grave, but cash, a bottle of vodka and cigarettes were found. ABC News reported the story in “Man Pleads Guilty in Grave Digging in Search of ‘Real Will’.”
If you suspect that the will proffered for one of your deceased relatives is not the real will, do not attempt to dig up that relative’s grave, even if you have a good reason to believe that the real will is buried with the deceased.
Why?
It is a crime to dig up a grave unless you have court permission to do so. Therefore, should you have reason to believe a will is a fake, you need to consult with an experienced estate planning attorney before doing anything else.
Reference: ABC News (January 8, 2015) “Man Pleads Guilty in Grave Digging in Search of ‘Real Will’“
