The mummified mortal remains of a 70-year-old woman were found two years after she died in Prestino, near Lake Como in Italy.
According to media reports, Marinella Baretta lived on her own and her remains were found seated at a table last week. The Guardian described the woman’s remains as “mummified”.
Como City Hall Press Officer Francesca Manfredi told CNN that the Como fire brigade had gone to Baretta’s house after neighbours expressed concern that a tree had fallen in her garden. Manfredi also said that Baretta’s cause of death was a mystery but the outlet noted that she had passed sometime in 2019 according to a medical examiner who studied the decomposition of the body.
The Agence France-Presse meanwhile reported that the neighbours had not met with Baretta for “at least two and a half years”, having believed that she moved away when the pandemic first hit the country. The news agency also said that the death was not deemed to involve foul play.
CNN said that it was being probed whether Baretta had any living family members as no one had come forward so far.
A funeral date has not been set so far with the mortal remains still in the morgue. Nevertheless, COMO Mayor Mario Landriscina has insisted that the area’s residents joined in at the funeral that would be sponsored by the local government.
