I did what a concerned citizen should do, check on their neighbors during a time of need. In this instance, the neighbor was over an hour an a half away (driving) and it was a week or two since anyone had heard from the individual. I pick up a colleague on the way there so I don’t have to go through the experience alone.

When we arrive, we try our best to announce our presence by knocking on every window, door, and yelling out who we were to the individual, since she would know who we were. The reason why we were at her property is because others who are far away were worried about her safety and health but had no chance of reaching her.

Phone calls lead to instant voice mails which indicate the phone is dead or turned off. Once people arrive on the scene, they discover that the doors and windows are locked and blinds are configured to block light into the home.  We knock on every window announcing our presence with no response.

Eventually, the County sheriff shows up and after speaking to the son on the phone, he’s granted permission for forced entry. However, the female inside could be armed with a shotgun. Two concerned friends agree to pay for the windows or the door to be broken into to ensure that the person inside is safe.

We discover a door that isn’t readily secure but is blocked by a couch with stuff piled onto it. It’s difficult to move the couch, but with the help of three men, the couch is able to be moved to the point of entering the household. After yelling out that we’re here to help and to just give us a sign of life go unanswered, we begin a search of the home.

After using leverage to move the door a few inches, an officer moves into the home. We unlock the the front door to allow a secondary officer and witness into the home. Unfortunately, the person we feared to be deceased is confirmed to be deceased by at least a few days.

Everything about this story is unfortunate. Whether it’s the people discovering the body or the victim involved, it’s a tragic story of death. Being independent is cool and such but in some instances, it can be a recipe for disaster. In my opinion, this was the latter.