Connecticut hoarder crushed when floor in home collapses

CHESHIRE, Conn., June 15 (UPI) -- Beverly Mitchell, 66, was found dead in the basement of her Cheshire, Conn., home on Saturday, after the first floor collapsed beneath the weight of her belongings.

Connecticut Police Sgt. Kevin O'Donnell told The Cheshire Citizen that Mitchell was a known "hoarder" and "recluse," who had long refused help from police and social services.

"This was an accidental death caused by disrepair," he said.

A postal worker first contacted authorities when he noticed that no one had been collecting mail for the home for more than a week.

In a similar incident last March, a Texas man was found dead behind a "10-foot wall of trash." Rescue crews spent two days trying to recover his body.