Body of woman not seen for THIRTY YEARS is found with her dead daughter after police break into their home that was on verge of collapse
A woman not seen by neighbours for 30 years has been found dead with her daughter after complaints of a pungent smell coming from their dilapidated house.
Police who broke into the property found the body of Caroline Jessett, aged in her 50s, but were forced to flee amid fears the house would collapse on them.
When they returned today they discovered her mother, Pauline, who was aged in her 70s.
Following the initial call to the house on November 21, construction experts spent a week shoring up the walls.
The women were thought to have been dead since at least June, and in the case of Mrs Jessett potentially for much longer.
Neighbours described both women as reclusive and some said they had not seen Mrs Jessett for 30 years.
Those living in the street in Littlemore, Oxfordshire said that curtains at the Jessett home were always drawn, and the women always refused to answer callers’ knocks on the front door.
Detectives were treating both deaths as 'unexplained', but not suspicious.
A post mortem examination already carried out on the daughter’s decomposed body, was unable to find any clues to her death.
'I haven’t seen Pauline for over 30 years,' said one woman neighbour, who declined to be named.
'She became a recluse after her husband died when he was in his 40s, in the 1980s.
'Their daughter, Caroline, went to school, but she never went to work afterwards.
'You would occasionally see the daughter going out to do the shopping in the early morning and she would always walk with her head down.
'She would say ‘hello’ if you spoke to her but I don’t think I have seen her for six months.
'She was a bit strange, but I think that was a bit about her upbringing.'
The woman told how Mrs Jessett had a riding accident when she was in her late teens and had walked with a stiff leg and arm.
'The curtains in the house were always pulled and you couldn’t see in,' said the woman.
'You never saw anyone take the bins out or anything like that, they were not normal neighbours.
'The house looks terrible from the outside and I dread to think what it must look like on the inside.'
Another elderly neighbour said: 'Many years ago I used to knock on the door to see if they were okay in there, but nobody ever answered and the curtains never twitched.
'It was all very strange.'
Neighbours told how in the summer they had seen flies swarming around inside the house.
'There were flies everywhere around the home in July,” said one resident.
'It seems likely that the bodies were already decompoising at that stage,' added the neighbour.
Forensic experts wearing white boiler suits were seen coming in and out of the property, which has a large two storey extension to rear.
A number of out-buildings in the overgrown garden of the property were also believed to be being searched using police sniffer dogs.
A police spokesman said there was no power in the two-storey house.
Investigating officer Detective Inspector John Turner from Oxford CID said: 'Officers will be in the property today carrying out investigations into the death of two women there.
'There continues to be nothing at this stage to suggest these deaths are suspicious.
'Investigations are now being carried out to determine the circumstances.'
A spokesman for Oxfordshire County Council said that the local authority had had no involvement with the mother and daughter.
Police who broke into the property found the body of Caroline Jessett, aged in her 50s, but were forced to flee amid fears the house would collapse on them.
When they returned today they discovered her mother, Pauline, who was aged in her 70s.
Grim find: A police officer stands guard outside the crumbling home where the bodies of Caroline Jessett and her elderly mother Pauline were found
Unsafe: Police found Caroline's body on November 21 but had to leave the house because they feared it could collapse on top of them
The women were thought to have been dead since at least June, and in the case of Mrs Jessett potentially for much longer.
Neighbours described both women as reclusive and some said they had not seen Mrs Jessett for 30 years.
Those living in the street in Littlemore, Oxfordshire said that curtains at the Jessett home were always drawn, and the women always refused to answer callers’ knocks on the front door.
Detectives were treating both deaths as 'unexplained', but not suspicious.
A post mortem examination already carried out on the daughter’s decomposed body, was unable to find any clues to her death.
Probe: Forensic officers were seen coming in and out of the property as police investigated the deaths
'She became a recluse after her husband died when he was in his 40s, in the 1980s.
'Their daughter, Caroline, went to school, but she never went to work afterwards.
'You would occasionally see the daughter going out to do the shopping in the early morning and she would always walk with her head down.
Inside look: Police broke into the end-of-terrace home after neighbours complained of a strong smell coming from the house
'She was a bit strange, but I think that was a bit about her upbringing.'
The woman told how Mrs Jessett had a riding accident when she was in her late teens and had walked with a stiff leg and arm.
'The curtains in the house were always pulled and you couldn’t see in,' said the woman.
'You never saw anyone take the bins out or anything like that, they were not normal neighbours.
'The house looks terrible from the outside and I dread to think what it must look like on the inside.'
Another elderly neighbour said: 'Many years ago I used to knock on the door to see if they were okay in there, but nobody ever answered and the curtains never twitched.
'It was all very strange.'
Neighbours told how in the summer they had seen flies swarming around inside the house.
'There were flies everywhere around the home in July,” said one resident.
'It seems likely that the bodies were already decompoising at that stage,' added the neighbour.
Forensic experts wearing white boiler suits were seen coming in and out of the property, which has a large two storey extension to rear.
A number of out-buildings in the overgrown garden of the property were also believed to be being searched using police sniffer dogs.
A police spokesman said there was no power in the two-storey house.
Run down: Neighbours said they had not seen Pauline Jessett for 30 years, and that the mother and daughter had both been very reclusive
'There continues to be nothing at this stage to suggest these deaths are suspicious.
'Investigations are now being carried out to determine the circumstances.'
A spokesman for Oxfordshire County Council said that the local authority had had no involvement with the mother and daughter.
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