NJ man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months

September 30, 2025

A New Jersey man accused of hiding his cousin’s dead body in a closet for eight months while collecting his benefits pleaded not guilty Monday during his arraignment.

Steven Blankenship, 58, of Fairfield Township, allegedly wrapped the body of 72-year-old Michael Blankenship in three layers of plastic before stashing it in a rear bedroom closet in a trailer where both men lived in the summer of 2024, investigators said.

He was indicted in July 2025 on charges including desecrating human remains, theft and credit card fraud, after the discovery of Michael Blankenship’s body, NJ Advance Media reported.

Michael Blankenship was a Marine Corps veteran who served during the Vietnam War and was honorably discharged in 1970, according to an online obituary. He died following a brief illness last year, but his body was only discovered in April 2025, after New Jersey State troopers reported to Evergreen Estates, formerly Tips Trailer Park, for a wellfare check.

Although no one answered the door, officials noticed a strong odor “consistent with decomposition,” according to court documents reviewed by NJ.com.

After breaking through the door, troopers found the body in a bedroom closet, which had been sealed with electrical tape and had its doorknob removed, officials said.

In a note believed to be written by Steven Blankenship, he described leaving his cousin’s dead body on the floor for two days before stashing him in the closet.

Prosecutors say he hid the body to keep receiving his cousin’s Department of Labor benefits. He’s also accused of using the dead man’s credit card to make multiple purchases and get cash. During that time, he’s believed to have stolen nearly $14,000 from the state, officials said.

Steven Blankenship, who remains jailed pending trial, is due back in court Oct. 17.

Michael Blankeship was buried with full military honors in July, about a year after his death, Task & Purpose reported.

https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/09/30/nj-man-pleads-not-guilty-body-closet/

NJ man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months <body> <h1> Array ( [0] => bj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [1] => mj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [2] => jj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [3] => hj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [4] => nh man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [5] => nn man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [6] => nm man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [7] => nk man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [8] => ni man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [9] => nu man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [10] => nj nan pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [11] => nj kan pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in 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man pleads bot guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [51] => nj man pleads mot guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [52] => nj man pleads jot guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [53] => nj man pleads hot guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [54] => nj man pleads nit guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [55] => nj man pleads nkt guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [56] => nj man pleads nlt guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [57] => nj man pleads npt guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [58] => nj man pleads n0t guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [59] => nj man pleads n9t guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [60] => nj man pleads nor guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [61] => nj man pleads nof guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [62] => nj man pleads nog guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [63] => nj man pleads noy guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [64] => nj man pleads no6 guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [65] => nj man pleads no5 guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [66] => nj man pleads not fuilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [67] => nj man pleads not vuilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [68] => nj man pleads not builty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [69] => nj man pleads not huilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [70] => nj man pleads not yuilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [71] => nj man pleads not tuilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [72] => nj man pleads not gyilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [73] => nj man pleads not ghilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [74] => nj man pleads not gjilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 months [75] => nj man pleads not giilty to hiding dead cousin in 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for 8 months [190] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousjn in closet for 8 months [191] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead couskn in closet for 8 months [192] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead couson in closet for 8 months [193] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cous9n in closet for 8 months [194] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cous8n in closet for 8 months [195] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousib in closet for 8 months [196] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousim in closet for 8 months [197] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousij in closet for 8 months [198] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousih in closet for 8 months [199] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin un closet for 8 months [200] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin jn closet for 8 months [201] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin kn closet for 8 months [202] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin on closet for 8 months [203] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin 9n closet for 8 months [204] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin 8n closet for 8 months [205] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin ib closet for 8 months [206] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin im closet for 8 months [207] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin ij closet for 8 months [208] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin ih closet for 8 months [209] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in xloset for 8 months [210] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in vloset for 8 months [211] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in floset for 8 months [212] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in dloset for 8 months [213] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in ckoset for 8 months [214] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in cposet for 8 months [215] => 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clowet for 8 months [228] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closwt for 8 months [229] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closst for 8 months [230] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closdt for 8 months [231] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closrt for 8 months [232] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in clos4t for 8 months [233] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in clos3t for 8 months [234] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closer for 8 months [235] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closef for 8 months [236] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closeg for 8 months [237] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closey for 8 months [238] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in close6 for 8 months [239] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in close5 for 8 months [240] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet dor 8 months [241] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet cor 8 months [242] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet vor 8 months [243] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet gor 8 months [244] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet tor 8 months [245] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet ror 8 months [246] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet fir 8 months [247] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet fkr 8 months [248] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet flr 8 months [249] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet fpr 8 months [250] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet f0r 8 months [251] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet f9r 8 months [252] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet foe 8 months 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not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 monyhs [279] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 mon6hs [280] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 mon5hs [281] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 montgs [282] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 montbs [283] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 montns [284] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 montjs [285] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 montus [286] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 montys [287] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 montha [288] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 monthz [289] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 monthx [290] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 monthd [291] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 monthe [292] => nj man pleads not guilty to hiding dead cousin in closet for 8 monthw ) </h1> </body>