According to police, a 66-year-old Connecticut woman was found dead after the first floor of her home collapsed into the basement.

The woman, who has been identified as Beverly Mitchel, was found on Saturday, two days after a postal worker had requested that a welfare check be performed due to her mail continuing to pile up.

Police Sgt. Kevin O’Donnell said that officers arrived at the home on Thursday, but did not find anyone and assumed that no one was home. They noticed the first floor was covered with piles and pile of debris, but it wasn’t until Friday that they realized that the first floor had collapsed.

After assuring that the building was safe to enter, the police cut a hole in the side of the home and started removing debris with backhoe. After the piles of debris were removed, the police discovered Beverly’s body under a pile of clutter.

This was not the first time that police had been sent on a welfare check to Mitchel’s home. They had responded several times over the years when concerned neighbors and relatives would contact them. Each time they offered to help Beverly and even offered to get her help from the social service experts. However, Beverly refused to admit her problem or to receive any help. O’Donnell said that the police never realized the severity of the hoarding until they entered the home on Thursday.

“It’s unfortunate because … we’ve tried all along to get her assistance, but she was a very private and solitary lady,” O’Donnell said in a statement on Sunday.

The police are currently trying to locate Beverly’s family members to notify them of her death.

Image via Wikimedia Commons