Watch CBS News

Cops: Hoarder Dies After Floor In Home Collapses

CHESHIRE, Conn. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A 66-year-old Connecticut woman who appeared to be a hoarder died when the cluttered first floor of her home collapsed into the basement, police said.

Beverly Mitchell was found dead in her Cheshire home Saturday, a day after a postal carrier called police to request a welfare check because her mail was piling up, police said.

Cheshire police told the Record-Journal in Meriden that the first floor appeared to collapse under the weight of clutter stacked to the ceiling, and Mitchell was found in the basement under a pile of debris. Officials said they couldn't safely enter the home until Saturday.

Authorities had to cut their way into the home through a side wall. State officials also responded to the scene.

The chief medical examiner's office will be performing an autopsy.

The death evokes the famous case of the Collyer brothers, two men who were found dead in their cluttered Harlem brownstone in 1947.

You May Also Be Interested In These Stories

(TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.