A tragic discovery was made at a hazardous home located on 16th Street in West Portsmouth. Despite several visits by officers, no one had been able to contact the resident since June 24. You can see that original report here.
Moved by the unimaginable incident, we decided to examine the daily activity reports closer. What follows is the timeline of events leading up to the heartbreaking discovery.
The sister of an elderly woman tragically found dead in a West Portsmouth home asked police to check on her welfare as far back as July 20th, but no one attempted to enter the 16th Street home until Monday afternoon.
Once officers got inside, they discovered a horrific scene. The woman was deceased with several dogs inside the home, and the home was in such bad shape, that officers were forced to send for a hazmat unit and put on breathing apparatuses to cope with the shocking conditions inside the home.
The first call concerning the woman’s safety came in on July 20. Her sister called from West Virginia and stated she hadn’t heard from her in several days.
Officers responded to the scene with a squad, but the report is heavily redacted, so it’s impossible to tell if they actually made contact with the woman.
However, the incident log from Monday says no one had actually spoken to her in person since June 24th. ( Based on information in previous logs, it’s possible that the date is a typo in the report and the date is July 24th )
Deputies returned to the home on August 4 for another welfare check. In their log, they report that the woman refused to answer the phone or come to the door when officers visit. They said they could hear dogs barking inside and that there was medication on the front porch delivered on July 25. At that time, the SCSO contacted Adult Protective Services. They aren’t allowed to just enter a home unless there are specific circumstances.
A deputy followed up at the home on August 8, after stating in their report that no one from ADPS had followed up on the matter. That’s when first responders made the tragic discovery inside the home.