While the registrar’s office confirmed the existence of the death certificate, the chief registrar acted very nervously and refused to provide an official copy of the death certificate. Not wanting to go back to the client empty-handed, investigators proceeded to the police department and requested a copy of the police report on the accident, only to find that no police report available and that the police claimed no knowledge of the accident nor of any body recovered. Further investigations at the site of the alleged drowning revealed that none of the local residents were awar.

Investigators next focused on the widow of the claimant, who had travelled to Ecuador for the funeral. Investigators learned that the widow allegedly fell in love and married a man that she met in Ecuador while attending the funeral, returning to her home country a short while later with her new husband.

Investigators fully identified the new husband, obtaining a description and photograph, which was forwarded to law enforcement in the claimant’s home country.