By Briana Shepherd
A woman who orchestrated a scheme to fake her own death in order to claim over $700,000 in life insurance has been sentenced to three years in prison.
Karen Maree Salkilld, 43, pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining benefits and knowingly using false records for deception. In February, she received more than $718,000 from Insuranceline after claiming she had died in a car accident in Broome in December 2023.
To support her claim, Salkilld submitted a death certificate, funeral documents, and a letter from the coroner’s court. She made the insurance application in late January, and the funds were disbursed on February 14.
During the sentencing, District Court Judge Vicki Stewart noted that Salkilld’s actions were premeditated rather than opportunistic, making a suspended sentence inappropriate. Judge Stewart highlighted that Salkilld had been living beyond her means and had accumulated substantial debt. She began planning the fraud in January and maintained the deception until her arrest in March.
