(CNN) When Jeanne Souron-Mathers died in November, police in Tooele, Utah, were startled to find the body of her husband Paul in a chest freezer at the couple's home.

That wasn't all. Police also discovered a notarized letter from Paul stating that his wife was not responsible for his death, according to a search warrant unsealed this week.

Investigators now believe that Paul Mathers died a decade ago and are investigating the possibility that monthly payments to him from Veterans Affairs and Social Security kept coming in after his death.

Sgt. Jeremy Hansen of the Tooele Police Department said investigators have filed subpoenas and are still awaiting financial records. The VA payments would total at least $177,000, Hansen said.

Paul Mathers is believed to have died between February 4, 2009 and March 8, 2009, Hansen said. He had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and was being treated at a local Veterans Affairs medical center, Hansen said, and was last seen there on February 4, 2009.

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