The Union City Police were initially investigating a missing persons case involving a 95-year-old woman when they stumbled upon a shocking discovery in her home: a partially mummified male body sitting on the toilet. According to the Mercury News, police believe the body had been there for several months.
More than two months after the discovery, authorities are still at a loss regarding the man’s identity, age, or cause of death. Until the Alameda County coroner’s office concludes its investigation, the deceased remains nameless.
The situation began in mid-August when family members reported their elderly relative missing. Their concern stemmed from the fact that the woman suffers from Alzheimer’s and cannot care for herself. However, this was ultimately a misunderstanding; it turned out she had been residing in a nursing home for nearly two years without her family being informed.
Despite this revelation, the police had already issued a missing person alert and dispatched officers to check on the woman’s home located on Appian Way in Union City.
Reports from the investigation described the house as severely dilapidated, with the front yard littered with trash, old newspapers, discarded furniture, and rotting food. Inside, the conditions were described as unsanitary, with garbage strewn about and numerous flies and cobwebs present.
According to the report, a man in his 50s, who was related to the elderly woman, lived in the home. He, however, refused to let officers inside. Authorities noted that he appeared to be suffering from mental health issues, had not bathed or cut his hair in a significant amount of time, and showed signs of being in poor health.
Following the man’s forced admission to a mental health facility, the investigation into the elderly woman’s home continued, leading to the chilling discovery of the mummified body in the bathroom.
Officer Sergio Quintero of the Union City Police stated that the coroner has yet to make a final determination regarding the cause of death, although early indications suggest it was not a homicide. “In general, we approach every suspicious death investigation from a homicide standpoint. However, this case is currently not being treated as a homicide investigation,” Quintero explained.
