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Background: The Sangamon County court building in Springfield, Ill. (Google Maps). Inset (left): Gena English-Wheat (Sangamon County Sheriff’s Office). Inset (right): Lillie Prindle (Staab Funeral Homes).
In a disturbing case from Illinois, a woman who was entrusted with the care of her elderly neighbor allegedly kept the neighbor’s death hidden for three years, according to police reports.
Gena English-Wheat, aged 59, faces charges of concealing a death following the discovery of 86-year-old Lillie Prindle’s body, which was found wrapped in blankets in Prindle’s home. English-Wheat was not only Prindle’s caregiver but also lived next door. Concerns arose when Prindle’s family, unable to reach her in November 2025, requested a welfare check, as reported by the CBS affiliate WCIA.
Responding to the call on November 6, 2025, officers from the Springfield Police Department arrived at Prindle’s residence and discovered her lifeless body seated in a chair in the living room, obscured by layers of blankets.
Interviews with other neighbors revealed that neither Prindle nor English-Wheat had been seen for a significant period. It was noted that English-Wheat’s visits to Prindle’s home had ceased months earlier. One witness recalled a recent encounter with English-Wheat at a grocery store, during which English-Wheat claimed Prindle was staying with her niece.
The condition of Prindle’s remains was described as “mummified” and surrounded by insect remnants, according to local NBC affiliate WAND. The coroner detailed that the body was in an “advanced state of decomposition,” shedding light on the grim circumstances of the case.
Police believed that Prindle had been dead for at least a year. As they investigated her home, they found evidence that things had not changed in the home since 2022, including expired food and a calendar that had not been changed since that year.
According to the probable cause statement, police soon discovered that several of Prindle’s accounts were still active. Prindle was receiving Social Security and her state pension every month, with deposits going into her bank account every month. Police said they also noticed several withdrawals being made from those accounts from the same ATM.
When police obtained video surveillance of the ATM, they reportedly observed English-Wheat making four withdrawals during October 2025. She allegedly used the same card that had been used to pay Prindle’s utility bills.
Police brought English-Wheat in for questioning and advised her of her rights. She allegedly admitted to finding Prindle dead in her living room chair in August 2022, but “did not tell anyone because she did not want anyone to know.” English-Wheat told police that she paid Prindle’s utility bills, maintained her lawn, and made ATM withdrawals to make them appear “active.”
WAND reported that English-Wheat allegedly took $130,000 from Prindle’s account. She has not been charged in connection with the alleged theft.
English-Wheat was charged with concealment of a death and arrested on Feb. 22. She was eventually granted pretrial release from the Sangamon County Jail. Local ABC affiliate WICS reported that English-Wheat failed to show up for court appearances multiple times, including her most recent appearance on Monday. A warrant has been issued for her arrest. Her next scheduled court date has not been announced.