Woman’s mummified body found in San Francisco home

Authorities dug out the body of a mummified woman from a San Francisco home, where they found hoarding conditions, including 300 bottles of urine, rats and bugs.

The body--believed to be that of a woman in her 90s--was found Saturday covered in a blanket under mounds of trash inside a home in the 100 block of Fourth Avenue, according to Victor Lim, a legislative aide to San Francisco County Supervisor Eric Mar.

The woman may have been dead for at least five years, he said. Meanwhile, her 65-year-old daughter lived in the upstairs portion of the Victorian-style home, Lim said.

The San Francisco medical examiner’s office is investigating the woman’s death. The woman’s daughter is receiving medical treatment, Lim said.

Inside the home, authorities found piles of trash reaching the ceiling, cobwebs, black spiders, rats, mold and human waste.

“It’s almost unprecedented,” Lim said. “This is not typical in San Francisco.”

Authorities were first alerted to the home’s condition last Tuesday after the property was put up for auction and someone went to the home to place a notice outside.

After reviewing the notice, the woman’s daughter sought the help of an attorney, who alerted police about the conditions of the home, he said.

The woman’s attorney, Nancy Rasch, declined to comment.

Officer Albie Esparza of the San Francisco Police Department referred questions to the medical examiner’s office.

Police searched the home for the woman’s body but were unsuccessful, so city workers were called to help look for her, officials said.

But when city workers couldn’t find her, a professional cleaning crew was hired to clean up the mess.

After loading trash into several dumpsters, the cleaning crew found the woman and notified the Fire Department. Firefighters wore oxygen masks to enter the home and retrieve the woman’s body.

It’s unclear what will happen to the home. Authorities have to ensure it’s safe before they allow inspectors to enter and examine it.

The San Francisco city attorney’s office is looking into the case, Lim said.

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