A group of squatters have been arrested after breaking into a dead man’s home and living with his mummified remains for weeks.
Investigators told a gruesome tale to WSB-TV after discovering an awful situation in Cobb County.
According to the police, seven people in Georgia unlawfully entered the 71-year-old’s home after he had passed away.
However, they are unsure of how long the people lived in the home with his body.
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Detective Daniel Goduto shared that the elderly man's remains were found ‘in the bathroom,’ and that ‘there's only one bathroom in the house’.
This terrifying detail could mean that the group would have had to use the bathroom in the same room as his body, or find another area to do their business.
According to the investigators, matters only got worse after the suspects began to forge checks in the deceased man’s name, and stole his credit card to make purchases.
A spokesperson for Cobb County Police Department told UNILAD: "The victim in this incident was a 71-year-old adult male. He is believed to have no living relatives.
"A total of seven suspects were arrested in connection to burglary and/or theft regarding the victim’s property and vehicle.
"The victim’s cause of death is still under investigation."
A neighbor spoke to WSB-TV and admitted that it was ‘just sick’ of the squatters stealing from a dead man, and it added insult to injury that she was unaware that the man had even died, as he was relatively isolated.
Even though he apparently kept to himself, police conducted a wellness check, typically requested by a loved one or someone living nearby, and discovered his body - and the squatters - inside.
Goduto explained: "We responded for the death, and the very next day, we responded to the burglary — within 24 hours, we had everyone in custody.”
He shared that the home had been trashed by the squatters while they rummaged through his belongings to find anything of value.
They also allegedly stole his car.
The detective said: “It’s unfortunate they preyed on somebody who was obviously deceased and took his belongings and used his money.”
After attempting to find family of the deceased man, police discovered that they were all dead.
After conducting their investigation into the man’s death, they are still awaiting his cause of death.
After hearing about the awful details, people online commented under WSB-TV’s coverage.
One person said: “Disgusting what is wrong with people that sounds like crackhead behavior.”
Another wrote: “Taking over a dead man's entire life is despicable!”
Someone else shared another similar incident: “A friend of mine passed away and his co-workers broke in and took his money he was saving for a car.
“Told the police they just wanted something to remember him by - lying, thieving, b*****ds!! They knew he was saving and not in the bank.”
It is not known yet when they seven people in connection to the crime will be appearing in court, or what their motive was for living with a dead body.
But a lot of people wanted to know how the squatters were able to live there for some time without being detected.
Even if there was no body inside, it’s unlikely they would have been apprehended.
According to the law, squatters’ rights are laws’ that allow a squatter to use or inhabit another person’s property in the event that the lawful owner does not evict or take action against the squatter’.
The American Apartment Owners Association states: “Typically, squatters' rights laws only apply if an individual has been illegitimately occupying a space for a specific period of time. In New York, for example, a squatter can be awarded ‘adverse possession’ under state law if they have been living in a property for 10 years or more.”
Britt Jones