Yahoo News Remains of woman missing for three years found inside wall of house
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
Police have identified the remains of a woman found within the walls of a Texas house as those of the property’s former owner.
Tragic Mary Stewart Cerruti, 61, had been missing for nearly three years, having last been seen in the summer of 2015.
Harris County Coroner’s Office formally identified the woman’s remains in January after carrying out extensive forensic tests on bones found in the property.
Investigators now believe that Mary got stuck in the wall space of the house after falling through a broken board in the attic.
Neighbours in the Houston Heights area had been concerned as post piled up in front of Mary’s home, with a broken window adding to their unease.
The mystery of her disappearance finally unravelled after new tenants moved into the property last year, following its sale at a foreclosure auction, and found fragments of bone.
Following further investigation, the majority of Mary’s skeleton was recovered – as well as degraded clothing, trainers and a pair of glasses.
It has been reported that six dead cats were also found inside.
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Tricia Bentley, spokesperson for the medical examiner, told PEOPLE: “In the attic, there was a broken board that led down to the space. Law enforcement thinks she may have been up in the attic and fell through the attic floor.
“There was some space between the walls where a person could fit. The cause of death is listed as undetermined because the remains were skeletonised. There is no evidence to say how exactly she died.”
