Wife testifies in faked-death scam

By Gregory Katz Associated Press Published: Sunday, July 20, 2008 12:11 a.m. MDT LONDON — John and Anne Darwin were in trouble. Of that there is no doubt. But their plan for putting things right went extraordinarily wrong. Swamped by money problems and facing ruin, John Darwin cooked up a novel scheme early in 2002. He would fake his own death, collect 226,000 pounds (U.S. $452,000) on his life insurance and pension plans, escape his debts, and the family would prosper anew. Eureka! Soon enough, John Darwin "died" in a staged canoe accident in the North Sea, then called his wife to pick him up and drop him at a train station where he began Part Two of his troubled life. They eventually made it to Panama, where they tried to start over in a lush tropical clime. But that only works in Hollywood. In searing testimony last week... [read full story]