© Shannon Stapleton / ReutersThe mummified remains were discovered by a potential house buyer.
Police were called to the house on Thursday afternoon and are now waiting for an anthropologist to carry out an autopsy, according to Reuters.
Authorities said the potential homebuyer ventured into the garage and saw the corpse inside a 1990s model Plymouth sedan.
It remains unknown how long it had been in the vehicle or how the individual died, spokesperson Lloyd Jackson of the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Officer said.
Jackson did, however, confirm that the body "was there for a long period of time."
"It's mummified, so it's probably been over a year, at least," he added.
In the later stages of decomposition, when exposed tissue turns brown, similar to that of tanned leather, carrying out a standard autopsy isn't feasible, and can even make it difficult to know whether the deceased is male or female, the officer said.
The coroners expect to be closer to unraveling the mystery next week after a University of Michigan anthropologist carries out the examination that may yield the person's age and gender.
Authorities added that it's difficult to know if there was foul play involved, as so little is known about the case.
The property was being rented by tenants who told officers that they were unaware of the body because they never used the garage, Detroit police spokesman Dan Donakowsi told Reuters.
Well, there goes that commission!
Which reminds of a true story. Back in 1981, I lived in inland San Diego County, Cal. When we would go surfing, we were forced to take a circuitous route through some neat hills (where the fog would get thicker than anywhere else I’ve ever seen, FWTW.) [For what THAT’S worth.]
On that route, we would daily drive by a quite unique mansion on a hilltop, which later became notorious as the final mass suicide location of the ‘Heaven’s Gate’ ‘cult.’
Why ‘Notorious’? (For those unfamiliar with all this or perhaps too young to recall - I believe this was in 1996.)
Because of the large number of suicides and also how, their leader, Marshall Applewhite,
had told them that hiding behind the recently discovered Hale Bopp Comet was a UFO coming to save them from this dimension/reality, etc.
So, as the Hale–Bopp Comet reached its closest approach to Earth, each and all cult members:
-1 Got dressed up somewhat like identical crew members from Star Trek, with each wearing brand new Black Nike sneakers.(no joke - just sad); and,
2. Using barbituates and vodka, committed mass suicide.
The total dead were originally reported as 36 but were ultimately found to be 38.
Well, of course the mansion we knew so well, became - unsurprisingly - a ‘hard to sell’ property , and its sale was ultimately assigned to a Real Estate company that specialized in selling ‘bad history’ properties. (I believe the same company sold the JonBenét Ramsey home.)
Well, anyway, on the first ‘showing’ of the property to prospective buyers, the odors remained in the home. “It will clear out our experts tell us,’ (At least I'd bet that's what the Real Estate Saleswoman assured the prospective buyers......(Yeah, right.)
But as the home tour progressed, the ‘aroma’ got even worse in the kitchen where were found the previously missed last two bodies.
It seemed they were found under the sink, behind the ‘Comet.’
Pa Dumpth.
(Sorry.)
R.C.