For years, relatives did not know that their uncle had died. Later, they learned that a police officer had allegedly stolen his house and his identity.

For years, those close to Dennis West were unaware of his death. His nieces last saw him in 2010 at a family funeral and stayed in touch by phone. Because he was a quiet, low-key man, West’s disappearance from the network in 2022 did not raise any major alarms. The family assumed he was simply living in isolation.