Carleton University is currently trying to recoup the almost half a million dollars paid to the estate of a professor who went missing and was later found dead.
George Roseme, a political science professor, went missing in 2007. He retired from teaching on July 1, 2008. He began reciving pension payments at that time, which amounted to $7,122 per month. Roseme’s long-time girlfriend Lynne Threlfall was appointed the tutor to his account and oversaw the monthly payments, according to court documents.
Roseme’s remains were found and identified in July 2013, when the coroner determined he died about two days after he went missing. Roseme suffered from Alzheimer’s at the time of his disappearance, the court document states.
Carleton is now trying to reclaim the payments, which were made in “error.”
“Given that it was later established that the death had occurred in 2007, payments made after January 1st 2008 have become undue payments and should be restituted,” Judge Martin Bedard wrote in his decision, which was released Feb. 2.
Carleton spokesperson Chris Cline commented to Metro Ottawa that the university was legally obligated to pay the pension “until his date of death was determined.”
“Payments were made by mistake, on the basis that payments were made in accordance with the absentee being presumed to be alive while he was not,” Bedard added.
The court document also states that Threfall will be responsible for paying back the money, about $106,000 of which she used from Roseme’s estate.
