Man’s ‘mummified’ body found in bathtub, police claim burglars lived with corpse

Authorities in Georgia have arrested seven people after claiming they found signs of forced entry at the home of a 71-year-old man who police say died a few months ago and was left decomposed in the house.

The seven people have not been charged in connection with the man’s death, which police say was from natural causes.

Robert Westbrook, 71, was found dead in his bathtub at his home in Smyrna, Georgia, earlier this month when authorities conducted a welfare check at the home, investigators said. Atlanta News First, Local 3 News And WSB TV reported.

The victim was only named by Atlanta News First.

“He was in a severe state of decomposition — that’s called mummification,” Detective Daniel Goduto of the Cobb County Police Department said, according to the newspaper.

“They’d been living in his house for… I don’t know how long. He was in the bathroom and there is only one bathroom in the house,” Goduto told WSB-TV.

Police determined that Westbrook was likely in that state for three months and appeared to have died of natural causes, according to Atlanta News First.

It was not immediately clear who had requested the welfare check. Police told WSB-TV that all of Westbrook’s family members are deceased.

7 suspects take over the dead man’s house with his mummified body still inside, and live off his money

Goduto found the house “ransacked” when he got there, he said, according to Atlanta News First, Local 3 News and WSB-TV.

“Drawers were overturned, his bedroom was in disarray,” Goduto told Atlanta News First. “But then there were items that indicated someone was still living there.”

“His belongings were in the middle of the room and it was clear that people were walking through there looking for valuables to take,” he told Local 3 News.

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The next day, a neighbor called 911 to say unknown people were on Westbrook’s property, police said, Atlanta News First reported.

Goduto found four of the suspects at the location, along with a computer monitor, Bluetooth speaker and other items belonging to Westbrook, he told Local 3 News and Atlanta News First.

He claimed the suspects were in possession of the victim’s credit cards and some checks from him, according to WSB-TV and Atlanta News First.

According to the report, the seven suspects face multiple charges, including burglary.