Woman Charged With Hiding Mother’s Death Now Facing Embezzlement
A Calhoun County woman who was charged earlier this year with concealing her mother’s death is now facing new embezzlement charges.
The body of 74-year-old Phyllis Lutz was found buried outside her home on 4 Mile Rd. in Leroy Township in January; investigators started looking for her after her friends say they hadn’t seen her since September. At the end of May, her daughter 46-year-old Marcia Lutz had a warrant issued against her for a felony charge of concealing the death of an individual and a misdemeanor of failing to report a dead body.
Now, WOODTV reports that Lutz has been charged with embezzling funds from her church; officials at the First Christian Church in Emmett Township discovered in January that between $20,000 and $40,000 had been stolen. The money discrepancy was discovered the same day Phyllis Lutz’s body was found.
Marcia was arrested in July in connection to the various charges. Concealing the death of an individual carries up to five years in prison, while the embezzlement charge can lead to 10 years.