In the 1989 movie, Weekend at Bernie’s, In the 1989 film, Andrew McCarthy and Jonathan Silverman play two men who find their boss dead and decide to hang out with his body.

What would you do after discovering that your friend is dead, would you (A) call 911; (B) contact a family member; or (C) head off on a Weekend at Bernie’s-style tour of bars and strip clubs, with the fun and frivolity all charged to the deceased?

 

Police say Robert Young and Mark Rubinson chose (C).

 

The unwilling participant in this bizarre joy ride was Jeff Jarrett, a real-estate salesman who attended Colorado State University with Young, 43. A Jarrett relative told the Denver Post that Jarrett had kindly opened his door, and his home, to Young, who’d been experiencing tough times.

Then, late on August 27, Young arrived at Jarrett’s place to find his buddy unresponsive.

This last word is key. Thus far, there’s no conclusive evidence about how Jarrett died, or whether he might have been saved if Young had called for help instead of doing something entirely different.

According to court and police records, Young went to a restaurant where Rubinson, 25, works. Then, the pair drove back to Chez Jarrett, lugged the body into Rubinson’s car and headed to Teddy T’s, a bar and grill.

No, Jarrett didn’t accompany them inside the watering hole. He was left in the backseat of the car. But he did pick up the tab.

From there, the intrepid trio headed to Sam’s No. 3, one of the city’s favorite breakfast spots. Afterward, Jarrett was apparently all in, so Young and Rubinson allegedly took him home. But while his travels were over, theirs had a few more stops to go. First, Viva Burrito, to refuel. Then Shotgun Willie’s strip club, where they’re said to have withdrawn $400 using Jarrett’s bank card — because he wouldn’t have wanted them to go second-class, no doubt. And finally, after the last pole dance of the evening, they spotted a Glendale police officer and told him there might be a dead guy at Jarrett’s house.

Which there was.

At this point, Young and Rubinson have only been charged with identity theft, criminal impersonation and abusing a corpse. Toxicology reports on Jarrett are incomplete, and depending on what they reveal, additional charges are possible.

Jarrett’s relative doesn’t find any of this remotely amusing. Maybe the night was more like Weekend at Bernie’s II.

Photo credit:  Films Daily News

Via Westword