The body of a woman was found “mummified” in her apartment seven months after she was last seen or heard from.
Amanda Warburton, 52, was discovered by police in her Runcorn, Cheshire, UK flat. Her death was ruled as “non suspicious” at an inquest this month. The court was informed that Ms Warburton’s body was severely decomposed when it was discovered on September 17.
A family member first raised concerns about Ms Warburton after noticing her window had been closed for two weeks. The New Zealand-born woman was found dead in her home by officers at 5.47pm, according to the Liverpool Echo.
An inquest at Cheshire Coroner’s Court on October 16 revealed that Ms Warburton was a “loner”. Senior Coroner Jacqueline Devonish stated that Ms Warburton’s cause of death was ‘unascertained due to severe decomposition and mummification’.
Consequently, she ruled an open conclusion, as there is “no idea” of the circumstances leading to her death. The coroner said that her cause of death could not be determined, reports the Mirror.
Ms Warburton’s sister, who resides in Queensland, Australia, started a GoFundMe page to raise funds so she could return to the UK. Announcing her bereavement on social media, she wrote: “It is with a very heavy heart that we announce the passing of our beautiful sister Amanda (Mandy). We are broken. We love you enormously and we will miss you so much.”
The house on Norton Hill was described by officers as “sparsely furnished”, with little food and a stack of mail behind the door. Two newspapers from February 18 were found on the coffee table, along with milk in the fridge that expired on February 19.
A sticker on the front door asked her to contact the housing association. Neighbors reported not seeing Ms Warburton for about a year and recently noticed a ‘strange smell’ emanating from the property.
Police described Ms Warburton’s body as ‘extremely decomposed, to the point of being mummified’. It is believed she died about seven months before being found, but police say there were no suspicious circumstances.
