COBB COUNTY, Ga. — Investigators say burglary suspects broke into a dead man’s home and lived with his mummified body for months.
The man was 71 years old. When police arrived they said that the victim was in a mummified state, but the suspects didn’t seem to care.
“They were living in his house for -- I don’t know how long. He was located in the bathroom and there’s only one bathroom in the house,” Detective Daniel Goduto with the Cobb County Police Department said.
Police said the seven suspects used the victims’ credit cards and forged his checks.
Sonya da Silva had no idea her neighbor on Harold Avenue passed away 3 months ago because he always kept to himself.
“It’s a shame and it’s sad. It’s just sad,” da Silva said. “To take advantage of a dead person is just sick.”
She knew something was wrong when she recorded video of police in front of the man’s house.
“There were like 10 police cars here and they were trying to apprehend two people,” da Silva said.
The incident started out as a welfare check.
“We responded for the death and the very next day we responded to the burglary. Within 24 hours we had everyone in custody,” Goduto said.
The detective said the homeowner was in a mummified state and his home was ransacked.
“All the drawers were overturned, his belongings were in the middle of the room and it was clear that people were looking through for things of value to take,” Goduto said.
Police say the suspects stole his car, too.
They got a hit on it at a nearby gas station where they say the suspects were inside using the stolen credit cards.
“It’s unfortunate they preyed on somebody who was obviously deceased and took his belongings and used his money,” Goduto said.
Investigators tried to track down the victim’s family, but they reported that they discovered they were all dead.
The man’s cause of death is unclear.