AN elderly woman in Taiwan hid her daughter’s corpse in her apartment for six years, per the deceased’s wish not to be buried.
Taking place in Ruifang District, New Taipei City, the woman kept her 53-year-old daughter’s body in a room with the air-conditioner turned on all year round for that period.
The apartment was purchased seven to eight years ago and before the shocking discovery, the neighbours assumed that the elderly woman lived alone, according to United Daily News.
They did not catch any noticeable odours and other signs of something amiss.
This year, the mother suffered a stroke and struggled to wipe down her daughter’s body daily as she did previously.
Her financial situation only worsened as she could not afford to pay off the electricity bills and finally confided in a volunteer about her situation.
When the police arrived at the apartment, they found the body had mummified completely and preliminary investigations ruled out homicide following the mother’s testimony and the daughter’s instructions regarding her funeral arrangements, said to be due to religious beliefs.
It was also observed that an “oil-like substance”, as quoted, was applied all over the body and the air-conditioning turned on all day may have prevented any odours from escaping.
