QUINCY, Ill. -- Records show that a Thomas William Brannon filed taxes, served time in Mississippi, married and fathered children over the last several decades.
The trouble is, he's been dead for more than 20 years.
Illinois authorities say that Wallace Daniel Spence, 52, of Corinth may have been responsible for Brannon's death in the 1980s, then stole his identity.
Spence appeared in an Adams County court Monday on charges of concealing a homicide in connection with the discovery of Brannon's decomposed body in a western Illinois quarry in 1985. He told the judge he wanted to plead guilty "as soon as possible.''
Spence was arrested by the Alcorn County Sheriff's Department in March on charges of burglary and forgery. While in Alcorn County custody he began claiming responsibility for numerous murders, though investigators only connected him to one. Investigator Jerry Rogers interviewed Spence and was able to connect his claims to the case in Quincy. Quincy authorities confirmed Spence's connection and he was extradited to Illinois from Corinth last week.
Spence does not yet face murder charges, Adams County State's Attorney Jon Barnard said, partly because the jurisdiction of the killing is unclear.
"We are certainly looking very hard at whether or not we can charge him with murder somewhere,'' Barnard said.
Although the body was found in Lima, Spence filed a statement saying the death occurred elsewhere. He also indicated he had killed Brannon, Barnard said.
Spence's attorney, public defender Todd Nelson, said he could not comment on the case.
Spence met Brannon when they were both inmates in Florida, Barnard said.
Officials would not specify how Brannon may have died, saying the investigation is ongoing.
Brannon was 25 when he died, and his body remained unidentified until last month -- after Spence came forward with information, Barnard said.
The case was dubbed "Marvin The Mummy'' by the original investigators.
Officials confirmed Brannon's identity using fingerprint records.
"It's a weird story, I'm telling you,'' Barnard said.
