'Severely Decomposed' Body Found in Rodent-Infested Home Had Been There Over 9 Months, Police Say
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A "severely decomposed" body has been found inside an apartment building in Connecticut, and officials believe it was there for several months.
The remains of a 56-year-old man, who has not been identified, were found in an apartment on Hope Street in Stamford around 10 a.m. on Wednesday, according to the Stamford Advocate and Patch.com.
Asst. Stamford Police Chief Richard Conklin said a Connecticut state marshal made the discovery while attempting to serve eviction paperwork, per Patch.com's report.
Stamford police believe the body may have been there between nine and 10 months, according to the outlet.
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"The resident was severely decomposed," Conklin said. "This was a hoarding situation. There were rodents throughout the apartment. It was a very extreme situation."
The unidentified man is believed to have died from natural causes, Conklin said, per the Advocate.
The Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will conduct an autopsy on the remains, according to Patch.com.
PEOPLE call to the Stamford Police Department was not immediately returned.
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Stamford police encounter cases like this — in which a body is found decomposing — "a few" times a year, Conklin said, the Advocate reported.
Police are asking residents to "keep an eye" on their neighbors, according to News12 New Jersey.
If someone hasn't been seen for a while, Conklin said police can do a welfare check "and hopefully prevent an extreme situation like this," per Patch.com.
"We'd like to reach out to community and ask people that if you have anyone in your community, your neighborhood, your building or your apartment complex that you haven't seen and you notice their mail is piling up — or some situation like that — to please notify us," Conklin also said.
Ohio police made a similar discovery late last month in Carroll County, where the bodies of a 79-year-old woman and her 59-year-old son were found.
Officials believe the bodies were inside the home for a year and a half until they were discovered on Dec. 26.
