Authorities in Arizona are trying to identify a mummified body found in the bathtub of a house in the northwest of the state by police investigating a robbery.
Police in Bullhead City said officers responded to a burglary call around 3:30 a.m. Saturday and discovered 65-year-old Christine Lee Walters going through items inside the home.
They said there were marks indicating the door had been forced open and that Waters had been inside for days, grabbing clothes, bags and other items that he allegedly planned to sell online.
Police said officers searched the house and found the body in the bathtub in a natural state of mummification, which occurs when a body is exposed to very dry conditions that delay normal decomposition.
Police said Walters told them he didn’t know the body was in the house.
It was not known how long the body was in the bathtub. Neighbors told police they thought the house was vacant and the owners might have moved out, because they hadn’t seen anyone for a year.
The Mohave County coroner was trying to determine the cause of death.
Detectives found the owner’s birth certificate, driver’s license and documents and taxes during searches of Walters’ home and vehicle. The woman was arrested on suspicion of two counts of burglary. Police said they are considering additional charges after methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia were found on him.