A former lecturer was found dead at home after her concerned sister raised the alarm after trying to visit with a birthday card.
Police made the final tragic discovery of the body of Linda Mary Large, 48, in a house on Derby Road, Widnes .
Sister Elaine Large, and Andrea Murray, raised the alarm after they received no answer at the front door and noticed the lights were out on the evening of May 8.
Sergeant Lee Connor, of Widnes local policing unit, told an inquest how a constable broke the lock on Ms Large's home to gain entry after midnight and into May 9.
Otherwise the property had been secure with no sign of third-party involvement or foul play.
The body of Ms Large was found inside the house, along with her two dogs.
A written statement from Andrea Murray said no-one had seen Linda for two to three weeks before her tragic death.
Dr Dilshad Shareef, pathologist, told the hearing that too much time had elapsed for her post-mortem to conclude any facts about her death due to decomposition.
She was identified by DNA analysis.
Peter Sigee, assistant coroner for Cheshire, read medical evidence into the record.
These included statements from her general practitioner (GP) and a mental health nurse from North West Boroughs Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust who had been in contact with Linda previously.
The inquest heard that Linda had struggled with health issues, her mental health, and a drink problem, with a statement read to the court describing her as "an alcoholic".
Linda, who was divorced and a former teacher, was born in Liverpool and had worked as a social sciences lecturer until around 12 years ago.
Mr Sigee concluded that Linda died at her home address and recorded the date as May 9, 2019.
He said there was not sufficient evidence to know how Linda died and recorded a conclusion that her cause of death was "un-ascertained
The coroner said: "I'm required to give an open conclusion and that means I'm not able, sadly, to decide the cause of Linda's death.
"I'm afraid these are the only findings I can make.
"I'm sure you will have lots of questions that remain unanswered."
Mr Sigee expressed his condolences to Linda's family and friends.
Anyone affected by any of the issues in this inquest can seek help online or via their GP.
The NHS offers a range of support relating to alcohol and mental health .
Readers can also contact independent charities and organisations such as Mind , DrinkAware , Turning Point or AddAction .
