The new owner of a Maryland home sold at a foreclosure auction found the body of the woman who used to live there inside.
Records don’t show when the house was sold, and it's unclear how long ago the 39-year-old woman died. Her body was found Saturday.
A neighbor of the woman who grew up across the street from her on Upland Avenue in District Heights said she had special needs.
“As we grew up into adults, she never grew up,” he said. “So she needed help with things and didn't process things as well as an adult would, even though she was an adult.”
He said the woman's grandmother took care of her until she died more than a year ago.
“Especially when her grandmother passed away, that's what made us come over and just make sure everything was cool — she had food, she had rides to the store, things like that,” the neighbor said.
The woman had a caregiver who stopped showing up months ago, as did other family members, he said.
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Police sources say the woman was not under anyone's care at the time of her death.
“We stopped seeing all traffic, so naturally we thought that she was gone with the family,” the neighbor said.
Utilities were cut off after the foreclosure, he said.
“We didn’t know, and it’s said that she was in the house,” he said. “I know they cut utilities. I know there’s no power in there. I’m not sure if there was water in there, but I’m pretty sure if they cut the electricity, they cut the heat, too.”
Police are calling it a death investigation, saying there’s no sign of foul play. The woman’s body is undergoing an autopsy.
Police said they have talked to the woman’s family.
News4 has not been able to reach her family.
“If we knew that she was still in there, we would have at least knocked on the door,” the neighbor said. “We would have at least asked her is everything OK.”
