A Pennsylvania couple is accused of living with a decomposing dead body in their home to cash out his social security checks. The couple, James and Debbie Bebout, was residing in the Canton Township home.
The police found they were living with James’ dead brother’s body, which had been decomposing for six months. Both Debbie and James are now facing charges of theft, conspiracy, and corpse abuse after a year of police discovering their horrific living situation.
James’ brother Michael passed away at 64, and the couple decided not to report his death. The police discovered his skeletal remains in the bed, while his body had decomposed beyond recognition.
Money mostly spent on air fresheners for the house.
— Chillonius Funk (@Steffen124) December 11, 2025
His body was found in January this year, and James explained he was stiff as a piece of cardboard when he brought breakfast to his brother in bed. He told police he was not aware of his death. The police further investigated and found out how dishevelled and absolute “house of horror” their home looked.
They were residing in horrific conditions and had hoarded large amounts of items. There was a strong odor from the decaying body, and the house wasn’t clean. Police also noticed dog feces on the walls. There were also bodies of dead animals in the house. Neighbors had also noticed the odor and said the couple didn’t seem normal.
They concluded that Michael died of natural causes and not murder, but the couple failed to report his death and were using his Social Security checks. According to CBS News, Greene Washington Regional Police Chief Will DeForte said that they had accumulated $20,000 in their bank account while the wife, Debbie, pretended to take care of her brother-in-law. Arrest warrants have been issued against the Bebout couple.
If you lie down with corpses, you wake up with fees. https://t.co/BRIn6qbZC5
— Bruce Ledewitz, Between Atheism and Belief (@BLedewitz) December 11, 2025
Netizens reacted to the news, saying how awful this is for the system. One user commented, “This is the kind of Social Security fraud that costs everyone. Good luck trying to claw back money from that couple. They look like they don’t have more than a few pennies to their name.”
Another one added, “Just unbelievable how someone can let another person rot. How in the world did they live in that house, waking up and going to sleep? All for some SS checks. Despicable.” One X user joked that the money they got from Social Security must have been spent on air fresheners.
