‘Mummified’ body discovered in hoarder’s home

Police in Australia are investigating a suspicious death at the home of a man neighbors say was a hoarder.

>> Read more trending news

Bruce Roberts, the man who lived in the home, died last year. Police told ABC they suspect he hid the body before his death.
Cleaning crews were clearing out the Greenwich home when the body was discovered on Tuesday, according to a police statement. The body had been there for a "considerable time" and investigators are treating the death as suspicious.

Witnesses told 9 News that the body was discovered under a rug or rolled up in one in the back of the house. Neighbors described Roberts as a "loner" and a "recluse."

"It's creepy and sad, it's just awful that it's next door, very unpleasant," Gayle Meagher said. "He was paranoid about security around the home and had barbed wire."

She said that Roberts’ parents owned the property and had lived there for about 50 years.

Another neighbor described Roberts as “childlike.”

"He was [in his] late 50s or 60s, had the same brown jacket on, he was childlike in a way, he just had no expressions, nothing," the woman told ABC.

The property is overgrown and surrounded by old tires, wood and cardboard.

Investigators are now working to identify the body and cause of death.

About the Author