Wisconsin ? True to his word, a hermit who encased his dead mother in a block of ice keeps himself in solitary confinement by threatening people, swearing at guards or simply refusing to leave his cell.

Philip Schuth told a newspaper when he was sentenced to prison in 2005 that he feared other inmates and wanted to live in solitary confinement.

Prison conduct reports show Schuth, 56, has been working to do that, earning more than 1,400 days in solitary.

“It appears in his mind keeping himself in solitary confinement is the best way to keep himself safe,” said Schuth’s attorney, Michael Lieberman.

Police discovered Schuth’s dead mother in a basement chest freezer, frozen into a 200-to-300 pound block of ice. Schuth told investigators she died in 2000 of natural causes.

He kept her hidden because he feared police might charge him with homicide and he needed her Social Security payments.