BULLHEAD CITY, AZ — Authorities are trying to identify a mummified body found by police in the bathtub of a northwestern Arizona home as they investigated a burglary.
Bullhead City police said officers responding to a burglary in progress around 3:30 a.m. Saturday discovered a woman rummaging through items inside the house.
They said there were pry marks on the door, indicating forced entry into the home, and that the woman had been going inside for days and taking clothing, purses, and other items she allegedly planned to sell online.
Police said officers searched the house and found the body in the tub in a natural mummified state, which occurs when a corpse is exposed to very dry conditions that slow typical decomposition.
Police said she told officers she didn’t know the body was in the house.
It’s unknown how long the body was in the bathtub. Neighbors told police they believed that the house was vacant and that the homeowner may have moved away because they hadn't been seen for about a year.
The Mohave County Medical Examiner’s Office was trying to determine the cause of death.
Detectives found the homeowner’s birth certificate, credit cards, driver’s license, and income tax paperwork during searches of the suspect's home and vehicle. The suspect was booked into jail on suspicion of two counts of burglary. Police said they are seeking additional charges after methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia were found in her possession.
