Covington Woman Arrested for Concealing Father’s Death

Newton County Judicial Center

Covington, Ga. - Newton County Deputies arrested a local Covington woman after her father's remains were discovered at a nearby Boy Scout Camp.

She has been arrested on charges of concealing his death and forgery. She allegedly continued to access his Social Security funds for four months after his death. The investigation began as the result of family members questioning the multiple stories the woman had recited to them regarding her father's well-being. She told some family that he had died of natural causes and had been cremated while she told other members that he was in a long-term care facility. When questioned by police, she allegedly admitted to his death and showed investigators where she had concealed his body.

As of right now, investigators believe there is no evidence to suggest that there was a homicide in this case. And as a Georgia Criminal Defense Lawyer, I will focus on the crime of concealing a death in the state of Georgia in today's post.

Concealing a Death in Georgia

The Georgia Code defines concealing a death in Georgia in O.C.G.A. §16-10-31 as:

A person who, by concealing the death of any other person, hinders a discovery of whether or not such person was unlawfully killed is guilty of a felony and upon conviction shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than ten years, a fine of not less than $1,000.00 nor more than $5,000.00, or both.

People often believe that if they didn't do anything to conceal the body, then they are not guilty of a crime. However, not communicating with authorities and informing them of death is still enough to be convicted of concealing a body.

If convicted of concealing a death in Georgia, then a person is guilty of a felony offense. Georgia felony penalties are far-reaching, and for this particular crime, an individual is facing up to ten years in prison as well as fines up to $5,000.

Practice Note

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