Seven Georgia burglars who allegedly discovered an elderly man's dead body in his bathtub while sneaking into his home will have to explain themselves in court after choosing to sit in the residence rather than notify authorities.
“It shows their moral compass, if you will. I mean, they broke into someone's house. They saw him dead on the floor and instead of saying, 'We made a mistake.' Let's call 911. We found this guy dead. “They decided to live there,” Detective Daniel Godotto said in an interview with TV station WANF.
In early October, Cobb County police received a call to conduct a welfare check at the home of Robert Westbrook, 71, after a neighbor saw individuals on his property, according to the New York Post.
Except that when they arrived, police allegedly found the septuagenarian's body in a “severe state of decomposition” in his bathroom, despite signs that someone had recently been in the house, the investigator continued speaking to the local channel.
“[C’était au stade de] Taxidermy, as described by Daniel Godotto. [La maison] It was looted. Drawers turned over. His master bedroom was a complete mess. But then there was evidence consistent with someone still living there.
For example, trash cans appear to have been emptied, and some trash has recently appeared, he added.
According to the investigation, the seventy-year-old died of natural causes about three months ago, according to what was reported by The Post.
It was only by returning to the scene in the following days that the police arrested four suspects, who had loaded their car with the deceased's belongings, ready to flee with his money, credit cards, checks and electronic devices in particular.
They then allegedly found the victim's stolen car at a nearby gas station, where three other individuals were arrested while burning the old man's money in slot machines.
“I had no idea what happened. I didn't know he was dead. I didn't know it was stolen. It was very shocking,” neighbor Sofia da Silva responded to WANF.
The seven thieves, all known to the courts, will have to answer for their actions in court, while the police recommend regularly checking the condition of elderly neighbors, and even more so if the plants in their house suddenly seem poorly maintained.
