Dead woman's 42 years in front of TV

[Owlscrying 0]

The mummified remains of a Croatian woman have been found sitting in her armchair at home in front of a black and white TV set 42 years after she was reported missing.

Croatian police say Hedviga Golik, who was born in 1924, had apparently made herself a cup of tea and sat down to watch the television which at the time was regarded as a luxury item.

They say that would have been in 1966 when she was last seen by neighbours. They said one day she seemed to have just disappeared and they thought she had moved out of her flat in the capital Zagreb.

But police who broke in with baliffs after local authorities said they wanted to check on its ownership found her remains in the small 13 square metre flat.

A police spokesman said: "So far we have no idea how it is possible that someone officially reported missing so long ago was not found before in the same apartment she used to live in

go

[psyche101 36,904]

I must admit that is bizzare. Strangest story I have heard in ages. Obviously nobody pays rates or the like in Croatia?

I wonder of the telly was still on.......

Edited May 16, 2008 by psyche101

[goalienan 10]

After 42 years they have just found this woman, really weird...Didn't anyone detect an odor when the body first started decomposing, no friends or relatives to ever check on her, rent not being paid...Sounds like noone really cared ..

[xCrimsonx 123]

I wonder if the telly was still on.......

lol

[godnodog 713]

How the hell didn´t someone remembered to llok in the first most likely place to search for evidences that could lead to find her: HER HOME!!!

Talking about incompetence!!!

[~Onyx~ 125]

Two words...

Chief Inspector.

[Anukis 22]

*blinks* thats really weird to say the least.

especially because its incredible how no one could cared less of checking out her home...

[goalienan 10]

Two words...

Chief Inspector.

LOL...where was he when they need him......

[Quill 11]

A police spokesman said: "So far we have no idea how it is possible that someone officially reported missing so long ago was not found before in the same apartment she used to live in."

No kidding. 42 years and no one ever thought to look in her home?...Ever?

[GreyWeather 13]

No kidding. 42 years and no one ever thought to look in her home?...Ever?

More strangely... In 42 years, no one wanted to rent that room.

[Sporkling 0]

What a story.

[chemical-licker 1]

weird strangest story and also so sad that nobody even cared.

[Regency 15]

I just saw this on CNN - what about her bills? She was found in bed after her neighbours broke in to "claim" the house as their own.

CNN: ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) -- Governments have changed. War erupted and ended. Neighbors had children, and then grandchildren. But Hedviga Golik never left her tiny apartment in Croatia's capital -- until her mummified body was carried out this week, 35 years after she died.

Police said Friday that no one ever reported Golik missing and no one has come to claim her body.

Residents of her loft building in downtown Zagreb had broken into Golik's flat after deciding that the apartment should belong to them, and not to her. Startled by the remains in bed, they called police.

Forensics experts said Golik likely died in 1973, about the time a neighbor last saw her. Expert Davor Strinovic said she seemed to have died of natural causes, but "it's almost impossible to say for certain" after so much time.

Some of Golik's neighbors claimed she had talked about going abroad.

Experts said her windows had been open, likely diminishing the smell. It remained unclear who -- if anyone -- was paying her bills and who exactly owned the apartment. In the 1970s, when Golik died, apartments were state-owned.

Neighbors now argue the apartment should be divided among the remaining tenants.

The discovery of Golik's body on Tuesday prompted media debates on how it is possible for a woman to die so long ago without anyone noticing. One local journalist said it showed people were becoming more alienated.

"My dear neighbors! Please keep on being curious and a bit tiresome, as you have been so far," Merita Arslani wrote in the Jutarnji list daily

[Marcus 1]

That's weird... EWWW all of the food and stuff she had should be very molded & nasty... I know that home wreaked a horrible smell..

About the house... why didn't anyone bother to check and where is the house located?? Anyone have pictures. I know if it's in a wooded area and after awhile.. trees and vines can actually grow over the house and cover everything.. Making it easier to hide the house from the public. I know they found an old 1900 home near my neighborhood & cemetary no one even knew of... The thing was it was a wooded area where it was located and they were deciding to cut all of it and put a little shopping center there and that's how they found the old house and cemetary.

[hetrodoxly 4,072]

She must have died from excitement after watching England beat Germany in the 1966 world cup.

[Quill 11]

Residents of her loft building in downtown Zagreb had broken into Golik's flat after deciding that the apartment should belong to them, and not to her. Startled by the remains in bed, they called police.

Neighbors now argue the apartment should be divided among the remaining tenants.

I guess greed is good?...

[Plainbob13 4]

I like how they are fighting over the apartment now. Will they draw a line down the middle? Ok this half is mine!

[Enigmatic Ghost 5]

She could have been a reclusive, a shut out...

She could have very well been a shutout, and reclusive, they are an odd sort of personality, the personality trait can come about for any reason, usually their families have done horrible things to them, their minds withdrawn and off, "Odd" and that can be even an hereditary glitch as well, so if she pushed them away and did not bother to answer her door then she may have had no callers, just a possibility, it is so sad, last year or so there was a mummy found in Texas I believe it was, and then in Russia that Man found in his flat, six years deadsitting at his table...

Yah and I had heard the stories once of a Man in Alaska that lived in a very secluded environment and when they had found him he had been partly eaten by his house cats…

It is all very gross and very sad to say the least.

…Pavot

Edited May 16, 2008 by Pavot

[crtDzyn 2]

Must have lived a lonely life to die such a lonely death...

[Foongus 1]

So if your searching for someone, you dont go to their home for evidence?

[Regency 15]

Must have lived a lonely life to die such a lonely death...

Yes she must, quite sad really to be alone like that and to die and nobody cares about it.

I'm really curious about what she was like when she was alive.

[Grimscythe 227]

That's kinda sad really. I wonder how many more missing people haven't been found for this same lack of attention.

[Truffles 0]

How the hell didn´t someone remembered to llok in the first most likely place to search for evidences that could lead to find her: HER HOME!!!

Talking about incompetence!!!

LOL I agree! Also who paid the bills and mowed the grass etc?

[Blueguardian 16]

That is sad, i wonder what she died from.. .

[my_psychosis 139]

The mummified remains of a Croatian woman have been found sitting in her armchair at home in front of a black and white TV set 42 years after she was reported missing.

Croatian police say Hedviga Golik, who was born in 1924, had apparently made herself a cup of tea and sat down to watch the television which at the time was regarded as a luxury item.

They say that would have been in 1966 when she was last seen by neighbours. They said one day she seemed to have just disappeared and they thought she had moved out of her flat in the capital Zagreb.

But police who broke in with baliffs after local authorities said they wanted to check on its ownership found her remains in the small 13 square metre flat.

A police spokesman said: "So far we have no idea how it is possible that someone officially reported missing so long ago was not found before in the same apartment she used to live in

go

42 years? Nobody checked on her? Or at least the property? Nobody found her, smelled her, nobody paid the bills, water, elec, etc? I dont believe it.