Hoarder Dies Beneath Her Own Clutter

It sounds like the nightmare outcome of a TLC reality-TV show. A 66-year-old woman in Cheshire, Connecticut, was found dead in her basement Saturday after the items she hoarded caused her floor to collapse on top of her. Police were alerted Friday when a postal worker noticed mail had piled up outside Beverly Mitchell’s home for more than a week. Authorities struggled to even make it inside and were forced to cut into the side of the house. When they finally entered Saturday, debris was stacked floor to ceiling. Police determined it wasn’t safe for them to search the home in its current state. The state’s Department of Homeland Security needed to be called in, and Mitchell’s residence was declared a hazmat situation. “She was a hoarder,” said Sgt. Kevin O’Donnell. “This was an accidental death caused by disrepair.”