Caretaker accused of drinking $100,000 of rare whiskey, takes truth to the grave

When John Saunders was hired as the live-in caretaker at the historic South Broadway Manor mansion in Pennsylvania, he was given one very specific instruction: to guard a stock of extremely rare 1912 whiskey. Owner Patricia Hill tells As It Happens guest host Laura Lynch, "I said watch this, don't let anybody touch it."

All indications are that Saunders didn't let anybody touch the whiskey. But, he did feel the urge to imbibe himself. When Patricia Hill was having the crates of spirit moved out of the caretaker's room in 2012, she discovered that most of the bottles were empty.

John Saunders was sitting in his reclining chair looking like the cat who just ate the mouse.

Hill says DNA tests on the bottles pointed to Saunders as the one who drank the whiskey. But Saunders, until his recent death, denied he was the culprit. Hill says Saunders told her, "oh they must have evaporated.

Saunders passed away on July 21st, 2014. Hill's remaining whiskey is now on display at a local museum.