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Wife Who Murdered Decorated Combat Vet For His Benefits Gets 50 Years

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Jonah Bennett Contributor
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The wife of a combat hero veteran has just been sentenced to 50 years in prison for murdering him in order to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars in benefits, according to a release from the Department of Veterans Affairs’ watchdog.

Martha Ann McClancy, now known as Martha Ann Kaczmarczyk, murdered her husband in 2006 to inherit his estate and snag more than $130,000 in benefits from the VA and the Social Security Administration. In so doing, she received the highest sentence possible for first degree murder and conspiracy to commit first degree murder after being convicted in November 2015.

Robert McClancy was a Marine Corps veteran, who served in the Vietnam War and earned a Purple Heart medal for sustaining injuries while in combat. That he was a decorated combat veteran didn’t prevent Martha from plotting and ensuring his death. Robert’s death was staged to make it look like a suicide, but investigators saw right through the ruse. Robert was positioned in a recliner. In one hand, he had a bottle of prescription pills. In the other, a .38-revolver.

“Ms. Kaczmarczyk conspired with another to steal VA beneficiary funds and murdered Mr. Robert McClancy, a decorated combat veterans,” said VA Inspector General Michael Missal. “This successful prosecution is a testament to the dedication of the state and federal investigative team that pursued the truth. We will aggressively investigate and seek prosecution for those who defraud VA programs and harm our nation’s heroes.”

Charles Kaczmarczyk was the other person involved in the conspiracy to steal benefits. Martha married Charles in just under five months after Robert was killed.

In 2010, Martha and Charles were convicted of a fraudulent scheme to wrongfully claim $450,000 in disability benefits.

New information about Martha’s misdeeds prompted the feds to re-open the case and sentence her to 50 years in prison, but there wasn’t enough evidence to prosecute Charles for tampering evidence in connection with Robert’s death.

“The results in both the guilt and sentencing phases of this trial would never have been possible without the great team work exhibited by local, state and federal law enforcement agencies,” said Stephen D. Crump, District Attorney General, Tenn. 10th Judicial District. “This was complicated litigation that could have been lost, and justice not achieved, but for the dedication of the participants. We spoke for those who could not speak. And we spoke in one voice.”

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