Squatters Found and Buried Body of Long-Dead Homeowner, Then Took Over, Police Say
Authorities in Las Vegas believe the body of a woman who died unnoticed in 2018 remained in her home for more than two years until squatters found it, dismembered it and buried it in her backyard, a television station reported.
Lucille Payne's remains were found last April in a shallow grave behind the home she purchased in 1999 in northwest Las Vegas, KLAS-TV reported Wednesday.
Las Vegas police have not identified suspects who authorities said could face fraud or theft-related charges for selling Payne's car and improper burial for leaving her body in a shallow grave.
“After finding her, the decision was made between several people that they were going to dismember her body and bury her and then basically drain her finances and sell off her belongings, fraudulently,” homicide Lt. Ray Spencer told KLAS-TV.
Las Vegas police and Clark County coroner offices were closed Thursday for the Veteran's Day holiday and officials were unavailable for immediate comment.
Investigators think that because Payne lived alone and had no close relatives that her absence was not noticed because she had her bills paid automatically, KLAS reported.
Neighbors told KLAS-TV that the home appeared empty for years.
A tip summoned police in April, and investigators at first suspected Payne had been murdered. Neighbors told investigators that they had heard digging.
“She was not buried very deeply, and an officer started to move the dirt and found her arm inside a very shallow grave in the backyard,” Spencer said.
The coroner initially ruled Payne's death a homicide after finding evidence of blunt force trauma and sharp force injuries.
Evidence later showed she had been dead for several years, KLAS-TV reported. Her cause of death has since been changed to undetermined.
据一家电视台报道，拉斯维加斯当局认为，一名于 2018 年去世的妇女的尸体在她家中存放了两年多，直到被擅自占地者发现、肢解并埋在她的后院。
据 KLAS-TV 周三报道，露西尔·佩恩 (Lucille Payne) 的遗体于去年 4 月在她 1999 年在拉斯维加斯西北部购买的房屋后面的一个浅坟中被发现。
拉斯维加斯警方尚未确定嫌疑人的身份，当局称他们可能因出售佩恩的汽车而面临欺诈或盗窃相关指控，并将她的尸体留在浅坟中不当埋葬。
“在找到她之后，几个人做出了决定，他们将肢解她的尸体并埋葬她，然后基本上以欺诈手段耗尽她的财务并变卖她的财产，”凶杀案中尉雷·斯宾塞告诉 KLAS-TV。
拉斯维加斯警方和克拉克县验尸官办公室周四因退伍军人节假期而关闭，官员们无法立即发表评论。
据 KLAS 报道，调查人员认为，由于佩恩独自生活且没有近亲，因此没有注意到她的缺席，因为她的账单是自动支付的。
邻居告诉KLAS-TV，这所房子多年来一直空无一人。
4 月，有人报警，调查人员起初怀疑佩恩已被谋杀。邻居告诉调查人员，他们听到了挖掘的声音。
斯宾塞说：“她没有被埋得很深，一名警官开始移动泥土，在后院一个非常浅的坟墓里发现了她的手臂。”
在发现钝器外伤和锐器伤的证据后，验尸官最初裁定佩恩的死为他杀。
据KLAS-TV报道，后来有证据表明她已经死了好几年。此后，她的死因已更改为未确定。
