Ex-Detective Vanishes, Found Dead in Trash-Filled House
A welfare check turned into a chilling mystery — one that took over half a year to unravel. Behind the closed doors of a modest Connecticut home, something had gone horribly wrong. When authorities finally broke through the debris, what they discovered raised more questions than it answered.
The Disappearance
In July 2024, a concerned friend of retired Bridgeport Police Department detective Mary Notarangelo called police in Glastonbury, Connecticut, after receiving no response to texts. The last known contact with the 73-year-old was a message she sent on June 12, describing severe abdominal pain, vomiting, and a fall. That friend didn't reach out to police until July 3, raising eyebrows about the delay.
Police attempted multiple searches, but the conditions inside the house stopped them in their tracks. What they faced wasn't just a cluttered space. It was an environment so densely packed with debris that even drones and cadaver dogs couldn't effectively maneuver inside.
Hoarding and Obstacles
Notarangelo had lived alone and increasingly reclusive since her retirement in 1996 after a back injury from an on-duty crash. Over the years, hoarding conditions in her home worsened. Friends, including former colleague Patti Steeves, noted that she'd become difficult to reach and resistant to intervention. According to reports, the home was filled with six-foot piles of garbage, dead birds in cages, live rodents, and a single surviving cat.
Despite multiple visits to the property — on July 5, July 11, July 12, and even Nov. 20 — officers couldn't make significant progress. Drones became tangled in cobwebs. Pathways were completely obstructed. "There was no path whatsoever," Glastonbury officer Anthony Longo said, according to Live 5 News. "The only way to move from room to room was by climbing over the garbage."
The Discovery
It wasn't until February 2025 that a specialized cleanup crew equipped with an excavator finally located Notarangelo's body just inside the front door. The remains were skeletal, partially buried under a mass of blankets, clothes, and household waste. Due to decomposition, the medical examiner could not determine the cause or manner of death.
In the years prior, Notarangelo had appeared in self-recorded YouTube videos — a version of her life much tidier than what responders eventually uncovered. The contrast between her public posts and the home's condition painted a heartbreaking portrait of isolation.
Unanswered Questions
Why did it take so long to find her? Why was the home allowed to deteriorate to such an extent? Local officials say they're still piecing together the timeline and response efforts. Chief Marshall Porter of Glastonbury Police called it "tragic and it's very strange," according to PEOPLE. That strangeness lies not just in the physical state of the home, but in how a former officer could vanish for so long without resolution.
Steeves, her friend and fellow officer, remembered her fondly, saying, "She had a great sense of humor. And she loved her animals. She loved her animals more than she did herself," according to PEOPLE.
The tragedy, perhaps, is that this love — along with her private struggles — ended up isolating her from the very community she once protected.
References: Retired Detective Found Dead Under Mound of Trash and Debris in Her Home 7 Months After She Went Missing: Reports | Videos Showcase Life of Retired Police Detective Found Dead in Glastonbury Home | Retired Detective Found Dead Under 'Mountains' of Trash in Her Home 7 Months After She Went Missing, Police Say
