Salem, MO. – This week, a Salem man was indicted on a case that has been under investigation since March of this year, where the suspect had been fraudulently collecting benefits from a deceased relative and had hidden the body from the public.
The suspect in this case is Brian Ditch, 44. The victim in this case was a US Army veteran with quadriplegia, and Ditch’s uncle.
Ditch is reported to have been the caretaker of the victim since 2008, where he proceeded to take advantage of the victim’s monthly benefits totaling over $11,000 monthly between Veteran’s Affairs and Social Security.
The victim is reported to have passed away around 2019, only for Ditch to hide the body and tell relatives that he had his uncle moved into a nursing home.
On March 21st of this year, officers with the Salem Police Department executed a search warrant at the residence on North Main in Salem, only to find the body of the victim wrapped in multiple trash bags and trash cans.
In addition, Ditch is a convicted felon and was found with three firearms on the premises.
Official charges in this case include felony Stealing, $25,000 or more, three felony charges of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, felony Tampering with Physical Evidence in a Felony Prosecution and felony Abandonment of a Corpse.
Ditch is scheduled to show up in court for a preliminary hearing on June 12th in this case.
