Heartbreaking reason family of woman found dead in her apartment after 3 years never looked for her

A woman who was believed to have died three years before she was discovered was only found when officials attempted to repossess her apartment.

Joyce Carol Vincent was just 38 years old when she tragically passed away, alone, in her London flat sometime in 2003.

Yet, it wasn't until years later, in January 2006, that her decomposed body was discovered.

To add to the tragedy, Joyce's remains were found by chance - as her apparent 'disappearance' was never flagged to police, nor did her family ever go looking for her.

It was officials from a housing association in North London that ended up breaking down her door where they stumbled across the sad scene.

The bailiffs had been called to repossess her apartment after months' of unpaid rent.

Joyce died in her flat many years before she was found (Findagrave.com)

Joyce's body was so badly decayed that she could only be formally identified through dental records.

While police ruled out third party involvement, the exact cause of death couldn't be determined, instead settling on the likely scenario that she died of natural causes, possibly due to having asthma.

Moved by the heartbreaking tragedy, filmmaker Carol Morley set about trying to piece the puzzle together in her 2011 Dreams of a Life documentary.

The doc detailed how it appeared Joyce, a sister to four others, had a well-decorated career working for accountancy firm Ernst & Young, among others, before suddenly quitting her job in 2001 for unknown reasons.

Around the same time, Joyce moved into a shelter for victims of domestic abuse, during which she became estranged from her loved ones whom believed she didn't want any contact with them.

As a result, none of her friends, family or former boyfriends ever went looking for her.

When Joyce was found dead, bailiffs found her lying on the floor with the TV and radiator still on, alongside a hefty pile of unopened mail by the front door.

She was only 38 when she died (Findagrave)

Dishes were reportedly still in the sink and some Christmas presents were found wrapped up nearby, which gave the authorities a clue around the time of year when Joyce might've died.

People on Reddit say the tragedy is a stark reminder of the human cost of isolation and highlights the importance on checking in on others.

One user wrote: "Lord stuff like this made me reevaluate myself. I decide to make it a point to text friends and family. Visit as much as I can. I don't want to end up like her. She shouldn't have ended up like that either."

Joyce's tale has also gone on to inspire musician, Steven Wilson of the rock band Porcupine Tree, to shape his fourth solo album, 'Hand. Cannot, Erase', released in 2015.

Wilson said he was inspired to create a concept album after seeing Dreams of Life with many of the songs based on the life of Joyce.