The body of a 70-year-old woman was found at her home in Italy two years after her death — sitting in the chair at her dining room table where she died.
via People:
Marinella Beretta lived by herself in a home in Prestino near Lake Como in the northern area of the country, The Guardian reported, citing Agence France-Presse in Rome.
The elderly woman’s body, which the outlet described as “mummified,” was discovered sitting at a table last week, the outlet reported.
The Como fire brigade stopped by the home after concerned residents said a tree fell in her garden, Como City Hall press officer Francesca Manfredi told CNN.
The woman had not been seen by surrounding neighbors “for at least two and a half years,” per Agence France-Presse. The news agency reported that those around her had assumed she moved away when the COVID-19 pandemic first struck the country.
In a statement, Manfredi told CNN that Beretta’s cause of death is currently unknown. The outlet noted that a medical examiner determined she died at some point near the end of 2019, “based on the extent of decomposition.”
Agence France-Presse added that Italian authorities found no evidence at the scene of Beretta’s death to suggest foul play was involved.
Police are investigating whether or not Beretta had any surviving family members, as no one has yet to come forward for her, CNN reported.
The woman’s body currently remains in the morgue, Manfredi added to the outlet. A funeral date has yet to be scheduled.
Como Mayor Mario Landriscina has invited residents of the Italian area to attend Beretta’s funeral, which the local government will fund, he told Italian press, per CNN.
“I will try to be there and I invite the city to be present,” Landriscina said, per the outlet. “This is the moment to be together, and even if this woman had no relatives, we could become her relatives.”
The silver lining is that it seems she slipped away peacefully at her home.
