These stories are SO sad- no one notices? And the electricity is still on???

Skeleton Found In House Years After Death

Woman Last Seen In 1999

The skeletal remains of an elderly woman were found Friday in her home, more than seven years after neighbors last reported seeing her.Ann M. Simmeck apparently died of natural causes, according to an autopsy conducted later Friday. She would have been 79 years old.The autopsy could not determine the year and date of her death, believed to have occurred several years ago inside her split-level ranch home.

The home, which bears a strongly worded "no trespassing" sign, still had working electric service. Calendars and food inside the freezer were dated 1999 and earlier, neighbors who talked with investigators told The Hartford Courant.Officers visited the property Friday and found Simmeck's skeletal remains after a family member became concerned about Simmeck's absence and called police."The last time I physically saw her was 1998, 1999," said Mary Carlson, Simmeck's neighbor since 1997.Simmeck's family members could not be reached Saturday morning.Neighbors said Friday that Simmeck's estranged husband used to mow the lawn and care for the yard, but told them a few years ago that he didn't have keys to the house and never went inside.State police detectives are investigating, and the state medical examiner's office will continue to try to pinpoint the year and approximate date of her death.

-- Edited by Ruby at 12:08, 2007-06-11