Regina Michalski survived Nazi-occupied Poland during World War II and an abusive marriage, but she did not survive the abuse of her daughter.
Her daughter, Eva Bratcher, 71, has been charged with the death of her 96-year-old mother, and hiding her body in a freezer in her home for nearly two years.
Police found the 96-year-old’s body in a freezer in the garage of the Portage Park house that the mother and daughter lived in.
A receipt for a freezer purchased by Bratcher almost two years ago was found in the house.
Detectives believe Michalski died in March 2021. An autopsy was performed on Thursday, February 2.
Bratcher’s bond was set at $20,000.
Assistant State Attorney for Cook County Michael Pekara said that police found a fraudulent ID card with Michalski’s name and a photo of Bratcher. They are investigating to determine if Bratcher was cashing her mother’s social security checks after she died.
Sabrina Watson, Bratcher’s estranged daughter, contacted police and asked them to do a wellness check on her grandmother because she hadn’t heard from her or been able to reach her in a long time. The last time she saw her, the elderly woman was in poor health.
Watson said that she tried to phone, but her mother blocked her calls and didn’t answer the door when she tried to visit.
Watson and Bratcher were estranged for several years and Watson did not trust her, and went as far as posting on Facebook that her mother was a dangerous criminal. She feared for her grandmother’s safety.
Bratcher had a criminal record and had been convicted of forgery and spent four years in prison for the crime.
Bratcher hid her mother’s death from neighbors by telling them she was in a nursing home in Wisconsin.
Bratcher’s next court appearance is on February 21.