Naman Shrestha
The episode titled ‘Mom Said I Was Dying’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘Evil Lives Here’ delves deep into the early life and experiences of Hannah Combs, who was made to believe that she had a terminal illness by her parents, Teresa and Robert Milbrandt. With the support of the community of Champaign County, the parents collected thousands of dollars for Hannah’s alleged treatment. It was only later that the Milbrandts’ scam was caught by the authorities, after which both of them were brought to justice.
Teresa and Robert Milbrandt Were Accused of Orchestrating the Cancer Scheme
During the time Teresa and Robert Milbrandt were married, they raised six daughters, including Hannah and Katie, and one son in Urbana, Ohio. At the time, Teresa worked as a home health nurse to provide for her family. When Hannah was seven years old, Teresa took her to the hospital and told her that she had been diagnosed with leukemia. The mother then reportedly proceeded to shave Hannah’s head, made her wear a protective mask, and gave her sleeping pills in order to make it seem like she was receiving chemotherapy. The truth was that Hannah was completely free from leukemia or any other disease.
After convincing dozens of people in the community of Champaign County that Hannah was battling a terminal illness, Teresa collected more than $31,000 in donations for her daughter’s treatment. Eventually, the authorities learned that the Milbrandts had been scamming people. Thus, both Teresa and Robert were arrested. By August 2003, Teresa pleaded guilty to endangering children, grand theft, and theft, while Robert pleaded guilty to endangering children and entered an Alford plea for theft. In September, Teresa was sentenced to six and a half years in prison, and Robert was sentenced to four years and 11 months in prison.
Teresa Milbrandt Leads a Private Life Following Yet Another Arrest
In February 2010, Teresa Milbrandt was reportedly released from prison after serving more than six years on child-endangerment and theft charges in the cancer scheme. Just a few months later, she found herself in trouble with the law for picking up fake prescriptions. Teresa eventually pleaded guilty to one count of deception to obtain a dangerous drug. During her sentencing hearing in March 2011, she claimed that she had injured her hand while working at the factory, after which she was prescribed some painkillers.
When the prescription ran out, her eldest daughter forged a prescription for it, and Teresa collected it at a Walmart pharmacy in Springfield, Ohio. Ultimately, she was sentenced to 10 months in prison, while her eldest daughter was sentenced to 20 months in prison for her involvement in the forging of prescriptions. Since then, Teresa has seemingly been released from prison but has stayed out of the limelight.
Robert Leads a Fulfilling Life With His Wife in New York State
After being released from prison in 2010, Robert Milbrandt continued to maintain his innocence and claimed he had no involvement in the scam. Fortunately for him, his daughter, Hanna, believed him and allowed him back into her life. In fact, Robert lived with his daughter and managed to rebuild his relationship with her. Not long after, he crossed paths with a woman named Terri Boyer and decided to give love another try. Having fallen in love with her, he got married to Terri, seemingly around 2013.
Apart from being his daughter’s best friend, Robert is also a doting grandfather of Hannah’s two children. The Ellington, New York, resident doesn’t miss the chance to catch up with his daughter and grandchildren. He also treasures spending time with his wife, Terri, who also shares an amicable relationship with his daughter and grandchildren. Since the couple shares a passion for traveling, they plan regular trips. For instance, in 2024, they seemingly traveled to the Gulf of Mexico.
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