Former Marine Found In South Jersey Closet Will Finally Be Laid To Rest

Some stories stop you cold. This is absolutely is one of them.

It’s hard to imagine it happened here in South Jersey.

This Marine Veteran Deserved Better

The body of 72-year-old Michael S. Blankenship, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, was found earlier this year inside a closet in Cumberland County, where it had reportedly been hidden for more than eight months.

A crime so sick and disturbing, it's hard to believe someone would do that to their own family.

According to NJ.com, authorities believe his cousin, Steven M. Blankenship, concealed the death, used credit cards, and collected his benefits to cover his own expenses.

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It’s the kind of betrayal that’s difficult to comprehend, let alone write about.

Michael served his country, lived quietly in Fairfield Township for over four decades, and passed away after what was described by reports as a brief illness.

What happened afterward is something no one deserves.

Finally, A Proper Goodbye

There’s little comfort in this story, but here’s what we can hold onto: Michael Blankenship will be buried with full military honors next week.

A public service is scheduled for Monday at Centerton Free Will Baptist Cemetery in Pittsgrove.

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The entire community will have a chance to say the goodbye he was cruelly denied for months.

NJ.com says that according to his obituary, Michael was a retired forklift operator and honorably discharged from the Marines back in 1970.

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He’s remembered by cousins, friends, and longtime neighbors.

We talk a lot about honoring veterans, but honoring them in death matters just as much.

RIP Michael.