Seven thieves from the state of Georgia, who allegedly discovered the body of an elderly man dead in his bathtub while infiltrating his home, will have to explain themselves in court after choosing to squat in the residence instead of notify the authorities.
“It shows their moral compass, if you will. I mean, they broke into someone’s house. They saw him dead on the ground and instead of saying “we made a mistake. Let’s call 911. We found this man dead, “they decided to live there,” lamented detective Daniel Goduto in an interview with television station WANF.
In early October, Cobb County police received a call for a welfare check at the home of Robert Westbrook, 71, after a neighbor saw individuals on his property, according to the ” New York Post.
Except that on their arrival, the police allegedly found the body of the septuagenarian in a “severe state of decomposition” in his bath, despite signs showing the recent presence of someone in the home, the investigator continued to the local channel. .
“(It was at the stage of) mummification,” described Daniel Goduto. (The house) was ransacked. The drawers were overturned. His master bedroom was a complete mess. But then there was evidence consistent with someone still living there.”
For example, the trash cans appeared to have been emptied, and some trash also appeared recent, he added.
According to the investigation, the septuagenarian died of natural causes around three months earlier, according to the “Post”.
It was only by returning to the scene in the following days that the police caught four suspects, who had loaded their vehicle with the deceased’s items, ready to flee with his money, his credit cards , checks and electronic devices, in particular.
They then allegedly located the victim’s stolen vehicle at a nearby gas station, where three other individuals were caught while burning the old man’s money in slot machines.
“I had no idea what had happened. I didn’t know he was dead. I didn’t know it was stolen. It was quite shocking,” neighbor Sophia Da Silva reacted to WANF.
The seven burglars, all known to the courts, will have to answer for their actions in court, while the police recommend regularly checking the condition of elderly neighbors, even more so if the vegetation in their home suddenly seems poorly maintained.
