Police in Arizona have discovered a mummified body in the bathtub of a home where a woman was arrested for burglary.
Bullhead City police said that they believe the body was that of the homeowner. Residents told authorities that they had not seen their neighbor in about a year and assumed she moved away.
It was not known how long the body had been in the home. Police said that burglary suspect Christine Lee Walters didn’t know the body was in the home.
The body was in a natural mummified state, which occurs when a corpse is exposed to very dry conditions that slow typical decomposition.
Police were originally called to the home in pre-dawn hours last Saturday for a possible burglary.
That’s when responding officers found Ms. Walters, 65, rummaging through belongings. Authorities noticed pry marks on the door, indicating a forced entry, and learned that Ms. Walters had visited the home days before when she allegedly took purses, bags and clothing to sell online.
A search warrant of Ms. Walters’ home and car turned up more items belonging to the victim, including her birth certificate, IRS paperwork, driver’s license and credit cards, according to police.
Ms. Walters’ was also in possession of drug paraphernalia and methamphetamine.
The suspect was booked at Mohave County jail on two counts of burglary. Police said they are seeking additional charges for credit card theft, possession of dangerous drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia.
— This article was based in part on wire service reports.
