Woman missing for months found buried under piles of hoarded trash in her own home
A retired police detective's skeletal remains have been found inside her rural Connecticut home filled with hoarding conditions seven months after she was reported missing.
The remains of 73-year-old Mary Notarangelo were discovered in February after work crews arrived at her rural Connecticut home to remove piles of trash accumulated from the retired detective's hoarding behavior, according to the Glastonbury Police Department.
Notarangelo was last heard from around June 12, 2024, when she texted a friend to say she was suffering from abdominal cramps and vomiting and had fallen. Approximately three weeks later, the friend called the police to request a welfare check.
Seven months later, on Feb. 24, an environmental services crew was called to Notarangelo's home to begin removing the "mountains" of garbage. Notarangelo's skeletal remains were discovered after workers used a small excavator to shovel a large pile of debris from behind her front door.
Authorities have not provided a reason why it took over half a year to find Notarangelo's remains, though officials pointed to the large amount of trash in her home. Glastonbury police said conditions in the home were among the worst they have seen and complicated attempts to locate Notarangelo.
Officials reported finding cages of dead birds, a live cat and mice within the home, which also had a terrible stench.
"Once inside, I observed more mountains of garbage, cobwebs and spiders," Officer Anthony Longo reported. "There was no path whatsoever. The only way to move from room to room was by climbing over the garbage."
Local authorities conducted their first search of the home on July 3, 2024, but were unable to locate Notarangelo, citing hoarding piles as the primary factor. A drone was also deployed into the house, but ultimately struck cobwebs and was disabled, according to police. Additional searches were conducted on July 5, July 11, July 12 and Nov. 20, but Notarangelo was never found.
"It's so upsetting and so sad," said Patti Steeves, a friend of Notarangelo's who previously worked at the Bridgeport Police Department as a civilian employee. "She, as quirky as she was, was a good person at heart."
Steeves revealed she had made attempts to speak with her friend about the hoarding, but Notarangelo did not want to discuss the issue. Notarangelo was also a "bird fanatic" and had about 20 birds, along with a cat and dog, her friend said.
Notarangelo worked with the Bridgeport police from 1985 to 1996, and was promoted to detective in 1992 and to sergeant a year later, according to the department. She later retired on disability following an on-duty car crash, Steeves said.
Notarangelo's cause of death could not be determined because her remains were primarily skeletal, the state medical examiner's office said.
The Glastonbury Police Department did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
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