Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard

Burlco woman charged with raising money for late husband’s funeral but leaving body at morgue

Family members contacted authorities after the funeral money was raised but the husband's body remained at the morgue.

File photo.
File photo.Read moreDreamstime / MCT

A 49-year-old Pemberton Township woman was indicted for allegedly raising money through GoFundMe to pay for her husband’s cremation and funeral expenses but instead spent the money on herself while abandoning her husband’s body at the morgue, Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina said Monday.

Patricia Clark was indicted by a grand jury on one count of third-degree theft. Her arraignment in Superior Court is pending.

Clark created the fund-raiser after her husband, who was not named, died in April 2019, Coffina said.

During a two-month period, 28 people contributed for a total of $2,050 of the $3,000 goal she set, Coffina said.

The investigation was launched after family members contacted the New Jersey State Police and said the husband’s remains were still at the morgue even though money for the cremation and funeral had been raised, Coffina said.