Cleaning crew finds body in home

ANDERSON, Ind. (WISH) - A cleaning crew uncovered a decayed body Thursday in Anderson, police said

Sgt. Freddie Tevis told 24-Hour News 8 news partner The Herald Bulletin the body was found at about 5 p.m. Thursday in a home in the 1700 block of West Ninth Street, under a blanket. The person appeared to have been dead for some time, he told the newspaper. Anderson Police Department spokesman Joel Sandefur told 24-Hour News 8 they believe the person was a woman in her 50s.

Residents in the area told 24-Hour News 8 that the woman who lived in the house had not been seen since December.

• UPDATE | Dead woman ID'd; coroner seeks help to find her family

The homeowner, who lives in California and bought the home in a tax sale, police told 24-Hour News 8, hired the cleaning crew to work on the house so he could lease it out. Upon finding the body, Tevis said, members of the crew initially thought it was a large doll. As they were dragging the body out of the room, the head fell off, Tevis said.

The cause of death is unknown, though police told 24-Hour News 8 that it does not appear foul play is involved. An autopsy is scheduled Friday.

"She was a nice lady," said neighbor Cathy Campbell. "She would ride the city bus all the time. A lot of people missed her on the bus and wondered where she was at."

But when asked why no one reported her missing, neighbors said they had no reason to suspect foul play.