DETROIT _ Police in Warren, Mich., are investigating the death of a man whose badly decomposed body was found in bed during a welfare check at his home Monday, Police Commissioner Bill Dwyer told the Detroit Free Press on Tuesday.
He identified the body as that of George Curtis, 68, who lived in the bungalow-style house.
Dwyer said a 62-year-old woman, believed to be the man's girlfriend, answered the door of the home on Burgundy Avenue on Monday morning.
The woman, who was not identified by Dwyer, was taken to St. John Macomb Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation. She appeared to be living in the home, which Dwyer described like that of a hoarder.
Dwyer said the man might have been dead for several months.
"The scene was terrible," Dwyer said, adding the condition of the home was "a total disaster."
He said efforts are underway to get the home condemned and an emergency petition to hold the woman in case she is released from the hospital. He said Macomb County's adult protective services agency is involved.
Dwyer said an autopsy is set to be conducted by the county medical examiner's office on Wednesday. He said it appears the man's death was from natural causes.
Dwyer said family members came to police Monday morning to conduct a welfare check, saying they hadn't had contact with Curtis for months.
Dwyer said he was not aware of Curtis having health issues or any record of the woman seeking help.
"It's extremely unusual, disturbing that someone could live in a home where you have a badly decomposed body with a very strong odor," Dwyer said. "It's bizarre and it's something you might see in a movie rather than real life."
