A Connecticut woman who police described as an apparent hoarder was found dead Saturday after the first floor of her house collapsed under the weight of all her clutter.
Police went to Beverly Mitchell’s home in Cheshire, Conn., on Friday after a mail carrier said she hadn’t picked up her mail in almost two weeks. They found that the first floor had collapsed into the basement because of the weight of all the clutter in the house, the Cheshire Citizen reports.
“The contents of that room caved in on top of her,” Sgt. Kevin O’Donnell said, adding that local police had to call in backup and equipment from Connecticut Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security in order to continue the search. Mitchell’s body was finally found with the help of cadaver dogs on Saturday, but searchers had to cut into the side of the house in order to get in.
“She was a hoarder,” O’Donnell told the Citizen. “This was an accidental death caused by disrepair.”
O’Donnell said police saw stacks of clutter that reached the ceiling in some places.
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Write to Charlotte Alter at charlotte.alter@time.com