Sect member fined over bathroom corpse

A member of a US religious sect was today fined for leaving another member’s corpse in her bathroom so the group could collect her government pension.

Tammy Lewis entered a no contest plea and was fined US$350 (€275) by a court in Mauston in Wisconsin.

Prosecutors accused the 36-year-old Lewis and 58-year-old Alan Bushey of leaving 90-year-old Magdeline Middlesworth’s body on the toilet in Lewis’ home after she died there in March.

A criminal complaint said Bushey led the Order of the Divine Will sect and told Lewis that God would revive Ms Middlesworth. The decaying body was found in May after Ms Middlesworth’s family expressed concern.

Prosecutors said they believe Bushey and Lewis wanted to go on collecting Ms Middlesworth’s Social Security payments.