During an investigation into a missing person case, the Union City Police stumbled upon a shocking discovery. Initially seeking a 95-year-old woman who had been reported missing, officers found a partially mummified male body sitting on the toilet in her bathroom.

According to a report by the Mercury News, the body appeared to have been there for several months. Despite the passage of over two months since this grim find, law enforcement still has not established how the man died nor have they been able to identify him. The authorities have indicated that he remains “John Doe” until results come back from the Alameda County Coroner’s Office.

The situation began in mid-August when family members alerted the police about their missing elderly relative. They were understandably concerned due to her Alzheimer’s condition, which rendered her unable to care for herself. In a surprising turn of events, it was discovered that the woman was actually not missing at all; she had been placed in a care facility nearly two years prior, and her family had not been informed.

Despite this revelation, a missing person alert had already been issued, prompting officers to check on the elderly woman’s home located on Appian Way in Union City.

Investigative reports describe a house in severe disrepair, with the yard cluttered with trash, old newspapers, discarded furniture, and rotting food. Inside, the conditions were equally disturbing, with debris littering the floors and a noticeable presence of flies and spiderwebs.

A man in his fifties, who was reportedly related to the elderly woman, was living in the home but refused to allow officers entry. Authorities indicated that the man appeared to be suffering from mental health issues, had not bathed or groomed himself for an extended period, and showed signs of serious neglect.

After he was involuntarily taken to a psychiatric facility, the police began a thorough search of the home and made the harrowing discovery of the mummified body in the bathroom.

Officer Sergio Quintero of the Union City Police Department noted that while the medical examiner has not provided a final determination on the cause of death, preliminary indications suggest it was not a homicide.

“In typical scenarios involving suspicious deaths, we approach investigations from a homicide perspective. However, the current investigative direction for this case is not leaning towards foul play,” Quintero stated.