A Madison Circuit Court 3 jury on Tuesday found 52-year-old Anderson resident Malaika Bell guilty of theft, fraud and forgery in a case built around a house deed dated the same day her mother died. Carter alleged Bell forged her mother Willie Mae May's signature on a warranty deed dated June 21, 2022 — the day May died — purporting to transfer the $170,000 property into Bell's name.
According to WISH-TV, the jury convicted Bell of theft, fraud, forgery and three counts of obstruction of justice. A separate account of the verdict from WTHR lists one count each of theft, fraud and forgery along with two counts of obstruction of justice, leaving the exact obstruction count unresolved pending clarification from the criminal docket. Theft and fraud were each charged as Level 5 felonies, forgery as a Level 6 felony, and the obstruction counts as Level 6 felonies, per WTHR's reporting.
A Deed Signed the Day She Died
The case traces back to a September 2022 complaint to the Anderson Police Department, in which a woman told officers that she and her brother, Maurice May, were listed on the deed to their mother's Anderson home. WISH-TV reports that woman, Kenyatta Carter, alleged her younger sister, Malaika Bell, forged their mother Willie Mae May's name to put the deed solely in Bell's name.
Court filings reviewed by the station say the affidavit and warranty deed were signed and dated June 21, 2022 — the day May died. Medical records cited in those documents described May as minimally responsive and unable to communicate during an in-home visit just four days earlier, on June 17, 2022. The estate's attorney told investigators that Bell did not hold power of attorney for her mother at the time.
Handwriting Didn't Match, Investigators Found
Investigators compared the signatures on the disputed deed documents to May's handwriting on checks she had written in 2019 and 2020 and concluded they did not match, according to the WISH-TV report. The home itself was listed in the affidavit at an approximate value of $170,000.
The same property was central to the criminal case.
Notary Testified She Never Saw May Sign
Chastity Glazebrook, the notary, and Robert Glazebrook did not see May or witness her sign.
What Comes Next
Sentencing in the criminal case is scheduled for Nov. 24, and Bell faces a maximum possible sentence of 22 years. The exact obstruction charges tied to Tuesday's verdict remain to be clarified through the Madison County court record.
