Woman's Body Found in Apartment After 2 Years
A woman's body, surrounded by wrapped Christmas presents, remained in her apartment for two years before anyone knew she was dead.
Friday, April 14, 2006
United Press International
A woman's body, surrounded by wrapped Christmas presents, remained in her small London apartment for two years before anyone knew she was dead.
Joyce Vincent was holding a shopping bag, The Telegraph reported. Food in her studio apartment was dated to be used before November 2003.
Investigators believe the 40-year-old woman died of natural causes. But her body was so decomposed that the only way to make formal identification was through dental records, and the cause of death could not be determined.
Police say Vincent had been living in a shelter for victims of domestic violence before moving into the apartment and may not have told her siblings where she was living. A spokesman for the Metropolitan Housing Trust said the agency did not go to the flat until this January because half the rent was paid automatically by government agencies and no relatives or friends had inquired.
"Tenants are entitled to privacy," he said. "We followed standard legal procedure. You can start knocking on doors but it is still someone's home."
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