Former live-in caretaker denies drinking old whiskey valued at $102,000 from Pa. mansion

Published January 13, 2015

The former live-in caretaker of a southwestern Pennsylvania mansion is denying he drank 52 bottles of well-aged whiskey, saying it wouldn't have been safe to drink and "evaporated" instead.

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (http://bit.ly/16jQrhx ) reports 63-year-old John Saunders issued that denial outside a district judge's courtroom on Wednesday. It came after his preliminary hearing on theft and other charges was postponed until May 15 so he could apply for a public defender.

Owner Patricia Hill found the Old Farm Pure Rye Whiskey in a century-old Georgian mansion she bought last year and says an expert appraised it at more than $102,000.

Scottdale police charged Saunders with stealing the whiskey — by drinking it — after his DNA was found on some empty bottles.

Saunders says Hill is exaggerating the whiskey's value.

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Information from: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, http://pghtrib.com

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