NEW YORK — A 66-year-old woman with a hoarding habit was found dead under a pile of debris inside her Queens home after family and friends spent months searching for her, officials said Wednesday.
Evelyn Sakash was discovered dead under a pile of rubbish in her kitchen about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday after a cleaner had been called in to fix up her home on 123rd Street in College Point, officials said.
Sakash, who friends described as an award-winning production and scenic designer, was last seen leaving her home on Sept. 30 at 8:30 p.m.
Family and friends soon reported her missing, noting her car was outside her home and her beloved pets had been left inside.
Laura DiDio, a family friend, said on Facebook that police with K-9 dogs went into Sakash’s home on two occasions over the last few months but did not find her.
More than $5,000 was raised on GoFundMe to raise money for investigators to supplement the NYPD’s efforts but there was no sign of Sakash.
An autopsy has been slated to determine how Sakash died. It is not believed that she is a victim of foul play, officials said.
