Karen Maree Salkilld falsely claimed she had died in a car crash to obtain a life-insurance payout of more than $718,000. The money was paid, but MyState Bank froze the account receiving it after suspicious transfers, and Salkilld’s later attempts to verify the account’s identity led to her arrest. In October 2024, she was sentenced to three years in prison.
Why did Karen Salkilld fake her own death?
At a Perth District Court hearing, Salkilld’s lawyer, Max Crispe, said she had seen a movie that gave her the idea. He did not identify the film, so its title remains unknown. That explanation is the lawyer’s account of what Salkilld said; it is not an established psychological cause.
Court reporting also described Salkilld as having large debts and living beyond her means. Prosecutor Emily Roberts characterised the offence as “planned and relatively sophisticated.” Judge Vicki Stewart rejected the idea that it was merely opportunistic, saying, “I don’t think opportunistic is the right word.” ABC News reported the court’s remarks in its October 2024 account of the case.
How the false death claim worked
The claim and payout
Salkilld claimed she had died in a car crash in Broome in December 2023. In late January 2024, she lodged a claim with insurer Insuranceline using a death certificate, funeral documentation and a purported letter from the coroner’s court. The insurer paid more than $718,000 on 14 February 2024, according to ABC News.
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The beneficiary’s identity was used
The beneficiary was Salkilld’s former partner. Salkilld opened a MyState Bank account in the former partner’s name, using identification documents she had access to. She placed her own face on an altered driver’s licence and passport and created an email account. ABC reported no evidence that the former partner knew about the fraud.
How the scheme unravelled
After the payout arrived, Salkilld began moving money to creditors and to herself. MyState Bank froze the account amid suspicions, and the altered identification did not pass verification.
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Salkilld then went several times to Palmyra Police Station seeking identity verification. On a later visit, she was arrested while pretending to be her former partner. The scheme had come close to producing a payout, but the payment did not mean she kept the money: at sentencing, the judge ordered it returned.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happened in court
Salkilld pleaded guilty to gaining a benefit by fraud and knowingly using a false record to defraud. Judge Vicki Stewart sentenced her to three years in prison, with parole eligibility after she had served half the term. Eligibility does not guarantee release. The sentencing report, published by ABC News on 28 October 2024 and updated the next day, records the sentence and the order to return the funds; it does not establish her current custody status. Read ABC News’ sentencing report for those details.
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The case also had a separate historical insurance payment: ABC reported that Salkilld received $500,000 after her former partner died in 2018. That earlier payment is distinct from the fraudulent claim at issue in court.
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