Hoarding, woman found dead
Dover, DE (US)

Incident Date: Monday, Aug 28, 2006
County: Kent

Disposition: Not Charged

Person of Interest: Ann Brobeck

Case Updates: 1 update(s) available

For the second time in less than two months, Dover police officers have discovered the decomposing remains of a woman inside a house littered with animal feces.

Officers found the body of Ann Brobeck, 61, of the 200 block of Green Blade Drive, on the morning Aug 28 lying on a bed in an upstairs bedroom.

Dover police spokesman Capt. Lester Boney said that Ms. Brobeck had been dead for about one month and there were no signs of trauma on her body or forced entry at the home.

The body was turned over the state medical examiner's office, which ruled that Ms. Brobeck died of natural causes, Department of Health and Social Services spokesman Jay Lynch.

Neighbors said they knew little about the 61-year-old woman, who mostly kept to herself and rarely left the house, except to visit Spence's Bazaar on Tuesdays and Fridays.

"She was a loner," said Joan Eckert, who lives across the street.

"It's sad for anybody who lives by themselves to lay there a whole month and nobody knows."

The home's front door was boarded up on Aug 30 and a Honda Element, which neighbors said belonged to Ms. Brobeck, was parked in the driveway.

Old newspapers sat on top of a trash can in front of the two-story duplex.

Capt. Boney said a neighbor called asking the department to check on Ms. Brobeck.

Upon arrival that Monday morning, officers saw a dog that appeared to be dead lying inside the home near a window.

City inspectors and firefighters forced their way into the house, where officers found Ms. Brobeck's body in the bedroom and a second dog that was alive.

"I don't think she really kept up with housekeeping," Capt. Boney said, noting that there was old feces and trash throughout the home.

The combination of decomposing bodies, dog feces and trash was enough for Dover inspectors to declare the home unsanitary and condemn it.

Capt. Boney added that family members were coming to see if they could clean the house.

Capt. Boney said the discovery differed greatly from last month's finding of 84-year-old Mary Haas, whose decomposed body was found stuffed in a Tupperware container inside her home. She had been dead about a year.

Police and city inspectors also found more than 130 cats living in squalor in a feces-covered Jefferson Court home that has been declared dangerous by city council.

Ms. Haas' daughters, Candice and Pamela, have been charged with abusing a corpse, third-degree conspiracy and animal cruelty.

They are awaiting trial in Kent County Court of Common Pleas.

"I don't think there's a connection between the two incidents," Capt. Boney said. "The closeness in time of the two incidents draws more attention to the situation."

He added that police normally do not release information about natural cause deaths, but decided to in this case due to public health concerns regarding the "unhealthy conditions in the house."

Ms. Eckert said Ms. Brobeck had lived at her Green Blade Drive for at least 19 years.

Ms. Eckert said police entered the house Monday morning wearing hazardous materials gear.

"After the cops opened the door, you would get a whiff once in a while," Ms. Eckert said.

Before that Monday, she didn't notice any strong odors coming from the house.

Phillip Hanzer, who lives across the street, said he last saw Ms. Brobeck about a month ago when she waved to him when he was getting his mail.

"I'm surprised it took this long for anyone to find her," he said.

Ms. Eckert said a man used to reside with Ms. Brobeck, but he passed away years ago.

Case Updates

References

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