Greek police investigate Marathon home after woman admits burying mother in garden for pension

Search on Ithakis Street

Police authorities in eastern Attica initiated an on-site search at a detached house on Ithakis Street in the coastal district of Nea Makri and Marathon on Thursday, 3 September 2026. Officers cordoned off the residential area early in the morning before bringing in heavy excavation machinery provided by the local municipality. Municipal crews dug up wide sections of the front and rear garden to locate the body of an elderly woman reportedly buried on the property a decade ago. Specialized search teams combed through the excavated soil throughout the operation without discovering any human remains or skeletal fragments. Investigators stated that finding intact remains after ten years poses significant physical challenges, though forensic assessments of the premises remain ongoing.

Disappearance and social security checks

The inquiry began following formal missing-person complaints lodged at the Nea Makri and Marathon police stations. The primary report was filed by the elderly woman's granddaughter, who had resided in France for years and returned to Greece unable to locate her grandmother. Local neighbours also submitted notices to police on 2 September 2026, stating that the woman, who was born in the mid-1920s, had not been seen in the neighbourhood for over a decade. Neighbours noted that they alerted authorities after observing unusual behaviour from the woman's grandson around the property. Following the complaints, officers inspected state records at the National Social Security Fund (EFKA) and confirmed that no death had ever been declared, resulting in uninterrupted monthly pension disbursements for ten consecutive years.

Admission of unlawful concealment

When questioned by investigating officers, the daughter of the missing woman admitted that her mother passed away at home approximately ten years ago. The daughter stated that she opted not to notify authorities or organize a formal burial because the pension represented the household's sole source of income. She explained that she buried the deceased mother directly in the yard herself and continued drawing the state pension deposits each month. The daughter lived at the Ithakis Street residence alongside her adult son, who suffers from documented psychiatric and psychological conditions. Police questioned both residents regarding the exact burial location on the plot to guide the municipal excavation equipment.

Next steps in the prosecution

Following the initial interrogation and the search of the garden, police officers compiled a formal case file against the daughter on charges of concealing a corpse. The preliminary case file was submitted to the competent public prosecutor for judicial review. The prosecutor instructed police officers not to make immediate arrests while additional factual, forensic, and financial evidence is gathered. Hellenic Police officials continue gathering records from EFKA to document the full scope of pension payments collected unlawfully over the ten-year span. Investigators plan to submit the complete evidentiary package to the judicial authorities to determine subsequent criminal proceedings and potential fraud indictments.