Fake obituary slips into weekly newspaper

MILFORD, N.H. -- Police are trying to determine who told a weekly newspaper that the wife of a teacher had died, resulting in a published obituary for the woman who was still alive.

"It never occurred to us that someone would be sick enough to do this," said Michael Cleveland, editor of The Cabinet Press.

The obituary for Kathleen Connor-Allwarden, with an accompanying photograph, was dropped off at the newspaper in time for Thursday's edition. It said she was a 44-year-old teacher who died of undetermined causes on Aug. 10.

After it was published, family members alerted the newspaper that Connor-Allwarden was alive and well, and a retraction was printed on its Web site.

Connor-Allwarden is the wife of Bobby Allwarden, a music teacher in nearby Amherst. The couple, who recently moved from Mont Vernon to Temple, did not immediately return a phone call from The Associated Press.

Cleveland said the newspaper has given the submitted obituary and photograph to police.

Milford Police Chief Fred Douglas said Tuesday his investigators sent the material to the state police forensics laboratory.

Cleveland said Connor-Allwarden's obituary didn't raise any suspicions because it was well-written and laudatory and accompanied by a professional-looking photograph.

He said the newspaper often prints obituaries submitted through the mail.

"We'll get a handwritten obit from California that says, 'Mom died two months ago, and I'd like people to know.' ... We never go: 'Prove it!' We still feel we can trust our readers," Cleveland said.

Milford is about 35 miles south of Concord.