Woman faked death to dodge parking fines

An Iowa woman allegedly faked her own death to avoid paying parking tickets.

Police say Kimberly Du, 36, was caught out after she got another ticket a month after her 'death', reports KCCI News.

Investigators said Du, of Des Moines, faked her own obituary and forged a letter telling a judge she had died in a car crash.

She allegedly included a phony obituary, made to look like a page from The Des Moines Register's website.

"The state still has to convince a jury of 12, but faking your own death is not a good idea," said Bob Rigg, of the Drake Law Clinic.

The case began to unravel when investigators said Du was stopped for another traffic ticket - a month after the obituary was dated.

She now faces up to five years in prison for fraud - instead of the $500 fine she might have expected for failing to pay her parking tickets.