A mummified body found in a hoarder’s home was found to have been shot, with investigators probing the possibility the victim was a cat burglar who was executed on the spot after being caught in the act.
The body, which was identified to be a man named Shane Snellman, had been shot in the shoulder with a rifle, according to Yahoo 7 News.
The theory is that the property’s reclusive owner, Bruce Roberts, who died of a heart attack last year, shot the burglar when he entered his home.
A mummified body found in a hoarder’s home was found to have been shot, with investigators speculating that the man was a ‘was executed on the spot after being caught in the act’
The body, which was identified to be a man named Shane Snellman, had a gunshot wound in his left shoulder
Shane Snellman’s body, which was wrapped under a roll of carpet, was in the property for 16 years until it was found by cleaners last May
Mr Snellman’s body, which was wrapped under a roll of carpet, was in the property for 16 years until it was found by cleaners last May.
Mr Snellman was a small-time criminal who was released from jail in 2002 for a number of break-and-enter cases, Yahoo 7 News reports.
‘This is particularly a bizarre case. Extreme unusual,’ Detective Chief Inspector Simon Jones said.
‘We did find some air fresheners that were located around his body, which obviously would indicate someone in the house knew he was there.’
Police also reported that over time, household items and rubbish piled up near Mr Snellman’s body.
Detective Jones also added that the mummified body was found with injures following a preliminary post-mortem examination.
The property’s owner, Bruce Roberts, died from a heart attack last year, leaving the house up for sale
Mr Roberts was known to be a recluse hoarder – police found that household items and rubbish were piling up near Mr Snellman’s body
‘We did find some air fresheners that were located around his body, which obviously would indicate someone in the house knew he was there,’ Detective Chief Inspector Simon Jones said
Shane Snellman (pictured) was a small-time criminal who was released from jail in 2002 for a number of break-and-enter cases
It was a chilling twist in a case that shocked and puzzled many, especially after more eerie photos of the North Sydney home emerged after it went on sale for $1.8 million.
Real estate agents are treating the house’s ‘interesting history’ as a selling point, with photos of the house showing blood-stained floorboards, a burnt kitchen and holes in its peeling walls.
The home, which is located at 31 Greendale St. in Sydney’s Greenwich suburb, will go to auction on Saturday, August 25.