Hoarding Investigated as Cause of Deadly Connecticut Home Collapse

Police are investigating whether a 66-year-old Cheshire woman died as a result of her own hoarding practices as the first floor of her house collapsed on her, multiple media outlets are reporting. 

Police say a U.S. Postal employee noticed Beverly Mitchell’s mail had been piling up at her 22 Winslow Road house on Thursday, WFSB TV reports. 

But it took until Saturday morning for local and state authorities to reach Mitchell, who was found in her basement buried under a pile of debris, WFSB reports. A backhoe was needed to reach Mitchell because their were concerns over the structural integrity of the house. 

It appears Mitchell’s hoarding was so extreme that it led to her first floor to collapse on her, and she was found buried under the debris, the New Haven Register reports.

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Mitchell’s first floor was piled waist high with papers and telephone books and other items, WFSB TV reports. The saddest part of this tragedy is no one knows how long Mitchell was buried under all of the debris, WFSB reports. 

Mitchell’s hoarding extended to the outside of her home, authorities said. Neighbors told the New Haven Register that Mitchell was once an active member of the community, would socialize with neighbors, but that changed years ago once her mother who had lived with her died. 

Police do not believe foul play was involved, multiple media outlets report.