HONESDALE – A Honesdale woman has been sentenced to up to 18 months in prison for theft and abuse of corpse after authorities found her mother dead in a bed & breakfast where the pair were living.
Wayne County District Attorney Patrick Robinson said Moira Richey, 52, pleaded guilty in March to one misdemeanor count of theft by unlawful taking and abuse of a corpse. He said Richey withdrew $1,600 from a local bank account by signing her mother’s name on May 27, 2017, although evidence showed Patricia Richey had already died.
Robinson said Moira Richey hid the death of her month from the landlord for several months prior to the discovery of Patricia Richey’s decaying body on June 24, 2017.
Moira Richey was scheduled to be sentenced on May 3, but checked into a Scranton hospital that morning. Senior Judge Raymond L. Hamill then issued a warrant for her arrest. She was returned to Wayne County the same day and was sentenced to 60 days to 18 months in the County Correctional Facility.
DA Robinson said, “This is a very unusual and disturbing case. Ultimately it is a very sad case. Obviously, the Defendant is a disturbed individual. I believe the sentence imposed by Senior Judge Hamill was appropriate given the Defendant’s mental health issues.”