Hoarder Janet Delatorre’s Home Holds Horrible Surprise

An unsuspecting realtor entered what she believed to be an abandoned home in Gilbert, Arizona, only to find it was occupied — by Janet Delatorre, the hoarder who had defaulted on the mortgage, and the mummified body of her mother, who had died four years ago.

Josephine Pallone, a 98-year-old woman, died in her bed and was found by her daughter, hoarder Janet Delatorre, one morning in September… of 2010. The daughter, Delatorre, told a family member that Josephine Pallone would be buried in Chicago next to her late husband. In fact, Delatorre just shut the door and walked away from that bedroom, leaving her mother’s body to literally rot, unnoticed amid the crammed house that was the trademark of a true hoarder.

If it weren’t for Delatorre’s ex-husband gaining control of the property due to Delatorre defaulting on multiple payments, the body of Josephine Pallone would, in fact, still be in that bed.

The realtor, acting as a court commissioner, entered the property and found a pet bird that was alert and healthy amid all the stacks and piles of trash and clothes. She became concerned that the daughter, Janet, may still be living on the property, as well as concerned for the woman’s welfare. Local police shared the concerns and searched the house, finding the body in one of the bedrooms.

According to reports, when asked why she left her mother’s death unreported, Janet confessed that she “panicked” and was convinced that police would believe Janet responsible for the death of her mother because of the condition of her home. The report stated that “Janet assumed the police would think Janet neglected her and that is why she died.”

The remains of Josephine Pallone have not yet been officially identified as such, but the Maricopa County Medical Office still lists her as the potential victim, as the case is actually an active death investigation. Investigators will not only be looking for a positive identification, they will also be searching for any signs of foul play, such as trauma to the body and broken bones.

It does seem apparent that Janet Delatorre’s hoarding, while perhaps not having an actual role in the death of her mother, certainly played a major role in why the death was not reported. According to the Mayo Clinic, a hoarding disorder is characterized by an inability to part with any possessions, including trash and sometimes even food items, regardless of value or sanitation concerns. The actual hoarding may cause the hoarder to withdraw from society and have very limited or no social interactions with others, due to shame and embarrassment. Hoarding can certainly become hazardous, and not simply because of concerns over germs and bacteria. Beverly Mitchell was actually crushed to death when her ceiling collapsed under the weight of the trash she had hoarded back in June.

[Image Via USA Today]