Dead roommate’s checkbook kept alive

A Chico man suspected of living with the corpse of his roommate for four years has been charged with forging checks to himself on the dead man’s account, according to the Butte County district attorney’s office.

Darren Wade Pirtle, 57, appeared Monday in Butte County Superior Court and was charged with one count of identity theft and 10 counts of check forgery. Since 2019, Pirtle allegedly forged about 50 checks to himself from the account of his deceased roommate, 64year-old Kevin Olson, according to prosecutors.

Olson was reported missing in August, after a relative claimed to have not heard from him in nearly four years, Butte County Dist.

Atty. Mike Ramsey said in a news release.

Olson’s retirement checks continued to be deposited into his account monthly, and the mortgage for his home continued to be paid.

Olson’s relatives told police they had been trying to contact him since 2018 and spoke with Pirtle, who “gave various excuses as to Olson’s absences.”

A Chico police officer contacted Pirtle, the district attorney’s office said, but he told police that Olson was “out of town.”

Last week, police served a search warrant at the home, located in the 2600 block of Burnap Avenue, where Olson’s body was found in the back bedroom. Officials believe he died in 2018. How the body was kept was unclear.