Who wouldn’t love the opportunity to find a mummified body inside their home? Most people would not appreciate it, I’m sure, but it has happened numerous times in the past and even in the present day.
Body in the Cupboard
A Nottingham shopkeeper made a rather grisly discovery after buying a small grocery shop in 1910. The former owner had left a three foot long parcel behind and informed the new owner that she would come back to pick it up. However, the former owner did not return for the package and the new shopkeepers could not help but open it to see what was inside.
Imagine their surprise when, upon opening the package, they found the mummified body of a boy:
“The head is of abnormal size, with neither flesh nor hair visible. The teeth stand out prominently, and the muscles of the throat, blackened with age, are clearly visible. Dark brown flesh remains on ribs, back, and arms and legs. It is believed that the body has been used for anatomical study.”
Believing that there was no actual crime, the police dropped the case. [1]
The Three Sisters
The news story sounds almost too weird to be true, but back in 1926, police officers forced their way into a home in Nantwich, Cheshire, England. As soon as they got inside the home, three sisters came forward, saying, “We are in God’s hands. This is God’s house. There is fire and brimstone in every room. Mother must not be touched. She is in God’s hands.”
The officers pushed past the sisters and entered the kitchen:
“On entering the kitchen the officers saw a couch, on which lay something covered with a white sheet. Uncovering this they were horrified to discover the body of a woman wrapped in paper and rags. It was the mother, obviously long dead, but practically mummified. Near by was a table spread with fruits, nuts, bread, and butter, and a bowl of tea.”
One of the sisters pointed to the picnic display and said, “That is God’s table. It is mothers. Do not touch it.”
Another sister said, “We have not been in bed for five years. We have lived in the kitchen with the body.”
The youngest sister, very distraught, ran out of the house and sat down in the garden.
The three sisters were removed from the home, were certified insane, and sent to an insane asylum. [2]
Baby in a Suitcase
When parcels were checked in at the Sydney, Australia train station and left behind for several months, it was the custom to send the items off to be auctioned. Train officials did just that in 1922, and sent the to-be-auctioned items to the auction house.
After the auction house received the items, they began to look over everything and opened up the small suitcase that had been left behind. Inside the suitcase was something of a shock. The official was “confronted with the blackened body of a child, clothed only in a bonnet and woolen bootees.”
The police were called in, but, unfortunately, there was no way to tell exactly whose baby it was or who it was that had dropped off the suitcase several months previous to the discovery. [3]
Under a Staircase
Finding the mummified remains of babies is fairly common, whether they are stuffed in the ceiling or, in this case, under a set of stairs.
It was 1951 and a husband and wife had bought a shop to turn it into a furniture store in Sydney, Australia. As they were cleaning the building out, they found a dust covered suitcase sitting under a staircase. Upon opening it, the mummified remains of an infant were discovered. [4]
Parisian Recluse
The problem with living alone and keeping to yourself is that it sometimes takes a while before someone finds your corpse. For instance, in London, 1904, a wealthy man lived all alone.
It took a few weeks before someone realized that they had not seen the old man in quite some time. Someone went to check in on him and discovered his mummified body resting in his bedroom.
There was no foul play. After all, after a quick search of the man’s home, wads of money were discovered hidden behind pictures and tucked under carpets. [5]
