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http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Blogs Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Road Cams Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Distinctly Northwest Readers' Choice Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend February 7, 2007 Dead man frozen more than a year Police allege partner put body in freezer so he could collect pension By chris conrad Mail Tribune An autopsy Tuesday determined that a man found last week stored inside a freezer at a south Medford home died of cancer more than a year ago, police said. Oregon State Medical Examiner Dr. James Olson also confirmed the body to be that of 77-year-old William Blakely Richardson, Medford police Lt. Tim George said. A construction crew found Richardson's body last Wednesday while replacing water-damaged drywall at the home at 1735 Fiona Lane. Workers immediately called police, who arrested Richardson's longtime partner, Paul Henry Mahanna, 58, who lived at the house. Detectives allege Mahanna hid the body to collect on a California pension Richardson had been receiving through his career as a school librarian there, George said. "We believe he hid the body in the freezer to gain financially," George added. "We still have an investigation continuing. It's a large and tedious one that involves at least two states and several financial records." Advertisement From the onset police suspected the body was Richardson's, but the fact it was wrapped in duct tape and frozen solid forced Olson to hold off on the autopsy until it could thaw. Olson concluded that Richardson, born Aug. 18, 1929, died of complications from advanced cancer. Investigators have put his death at around Jan. 28, 2006, based on the autopsy and witnesses' accounts of when Richardson was last seen alive. Mahanna was indicted Tuesday on two counts of identity theft and second-degree abuse of a corpse. He remained lodged in the Jackson County Jail on $500,000 bail. The identity theft charges are linked to payments an insurance company made under Richardson's homeowner's policy last month for repairs of damage caused by frozen pipes, George said. Investigators are working to see if Mahanna was stealing any other financial benefits, such as Social Security, that Richardson may have been receiving, George said. Defense attorney Andrew Vandergaw said he hasn't had time to review Mahanna's case. He did say Mahanna and Richardson had been partners for more than 30 years. Neighbors said Richardson and Mahanna had lived in the house for about two years. Richardson was described as an animal lover who volunteered at the Southern Oregon Humane Society in early 2004, but had to stop to seek treatment for cancer. Detectives have not found any of Richardson's relatives and have no word whether Mahanna was named the beneficiary of any insurance claims or the Fiona Lane house, George said. Reach reporter Chris Conrad at 776-4471, or e-mail [email protected] . Reporter Anita Burke contributed to this story. Would you like to respond to this story? If so Click Here to visit our forums. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2007 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Casinos Canada Cord Blood Banking Entertainment Guide Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Trunks, Footlocker Men's Clothing Debt Help