Women planned to ‘resurrect’ mummified body inside Thorold home, court hears
Two Niagara women who kept the decomposing body of a man in a Thorold home for four years were planning to resurrect the deceased as part of a prophecy, court heard Monday.
Police were advised (the women) were planning a resurrection ceremony to bring him back to life in about a week," Crown attorney Michal Sokolski said in Ontario Court of Justice in St. Catharines.
Paulette Villamil and Tamara Bernard, both 47, pleaded guilty Monday to charges of failing to report the death of a person.
Defence lawyer Jeffrey Root, who represents Villamil, told the judge his client had researched various prophecies" that she felt may or may not take place over a period of time the body was in the home."
Niagara Regional Police went to a home on Manley Crescent in Thorold on Nov. 24, 2019, in regards to a welfare check on an adult male who hadn't been seen in a number of years.
Police were invited inside and told the man they were looking for died in 2015 and his body was in the bathroom.
Police found a mummified body on the toilet. The body was in an advanced state of decomposition.
The women, who lived in the home with the victim, told police they were planning to resurrect the man in a week's time.
An autopsy concluded the man, who had been in poor health for several years, did not die as a result of foul play.
Police also determined $95,000 was missing from the dead man's bank account. Detectives have not been able to locate the missing money.
Judge Joseph De Filippis ordered a presentence report be prepared prior to sentencing in January.
The Crown is seeking jail sentences, while the women's lawyers are advocating for house arrest.
I will consider both those positions very carefully," the judge told the women.
Alison Langley is a St. Catharines-based reporter for the Niagara Falls Review. Reach her via email: alison.langley@niagaradailies.com