Very Sad Story

[Denver Native]

Man's body found in front of TV a year after death

HAMPTON BAYS, N.Y. (AP) - The partially mummified body of a man dead for more than a year has been found in a chair in front of his television, which was still on, authorities said.

Vincenzo Ricardo, 70, apparently died of natural causes, said Dr. Stuart Dawson, Suffolk County's deputy chief medical examiner.

Police found Ricardo's body this week when they investigated a report of burst pipes.

The home's dry air had preserved his features, morgue assistant Jeff Bacchus said.

"You could see his face. He still had hair on his head," Bacchus said.

Ricardo's wife died years ago, and he lived alone, Dawson said.

"He hasn't been heard from in over a year. That's the part that baffles me," he said. "Nobody sounded the alarm."

Neighbors said they had thought Ricardo was in a hospital or nursing home.

"We never thought to check on him," said neighbor Diane Devon.

[Nomad Broncofan]

TV still on! Hmmm! I wonder who paid the electric bill for the year. I wonder why the neighbors weren't a little more curious being the man was 70 yrs old. It is a unique story, is it true! I see it's from the AP!

[Jaws]

This story says a lot about today's society.

[Archimedes Owl]

This story says a lot about today's society.

Why do you say that?

[Nomad Broncofan]

This story says a lot about today's society.

I'm baffled that the neighbors never checked once! And where is the man's family! Lights, at least from the TV, was on! I give my neighbors their privacy but if I don't see them for two weeks I'll go knock on the door to at least say HI!

[Jaws]

Why do you say that?

See Nomad's post

[Archimedes Owl]

I'm baffled that the neighbors never checked once! And where is the man's family! Lights, at least from the TV, was on! I give my neighbors their privacy but if I don't see them for two weeks I'll go knock on the door to at least say HI!

Well, I suppose that makes some sense, but I always just presume that we're missing some information. We don't know what the houses were like. We don't know if the man had a history of disappearing for long periods of time for nursing homes and hospitals, so there was no reason to suspect anything.

[MarvinWillis]

Holy Smokes.

[sharp_shepherd]

This has got to be a B.S. story. Only I can think of this.... Your telling me that in a year the power hasn't gone out once in his area... think about it. The weather issues that have happened in the last year would have turned his tv off... someone would have had to turn it back on. Maybe his bills were paid by automatic withdrawl and if he was still alive he would have had his retirement direct deposited, so that part could have happened.

My question is. Will the government want the last year of social security paid back?

[Nomad Broncofan]

Well, I suppose that makes some sense, but I always just presume that we're missing some information. We don't know what the houses were like. We don't know if the man had a history of disappearing for long periods of time for nursing homes and hospitals, so there was no reason to suspect anything.

Very true! That's the reason I ask if this story is true! The guy was a diabetic and blind (read SmithOverTO's thread "Creepy" - didn't see it before I posted here) and assuming again was getting help from the state for his handicaps. It would seem he was in some database. And there is a picture of a house in the other thread and it looks huge. I don't know but something's not right here. I'm curious to see what details the authorities find out in their investigations.