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The Man Who Wouldn’t Die – The Bizarre Depression Era Crime That Shaped How Our Insurance Works

Khalid Elhassan June 2, 2025 17 min

A young Michael Malloy, left, and his killers. I09

13. The Malloy Case Led to Major Insurance Changes

Malloy - Newspaper article about the Malloy case — Newspaper article about the Malloy case. Smithsonian Magazine

The Michael Malloy case became famous – or infamous – as the story of the insurance scam over the “Man Who Wouldn’t Die” or the tale of the “Murder Trust”. In addition to macabre, the tale had broader implications and a lasting legacy, particularly in the realms of insurance, public perception of crime, and regulatory reform.

One of its most significant impacts was stricter identity verification. The “Murder Trust” had found it easy to take out multiple life insurance policies on Malloy using a falsified identity (“Nicholas Mellory”), forged documents, and no familial connection. Malloy, a homeless alcoholic, knew nothing of these policies, and unwittingly signed paperwork while intoxicated.

Written by

Khalid Elhassan

A lifelong history buff, I developed a particular passion for WW2 history as a child, when I spent hours listening to my grandfather, enraptured, as he recounted his wartime experiences in the British East African Campaign and with the British 8th Army in North Africa.

I graduated with a history BA from George Mason University, then went on to get a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law. After lawyering for a decade, I moved to sunny Rio de Janeiro and a less demanding career, opening a tourism agency in Copacabana.

A big chunk of my free time is spent blogging (you can follow me on Quora https://www.quora.com/profile/Khalid-Elhassan ) or freelance writing, mostly about my favorite subject, history.