MI - Pontiac woman's mummified body found in her garage

[michmi]

Someone has started a FB page with more information/questions about the investigation:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Mummified-in-Michigan/746431972033608

There is a lovely post there from a former co-worker of Pia's who describes her as being a VERY private person who rarely answered personal questions. Her family is also stating that they tried many times to reach out to Pia and Pia would only respond when she felt like responding.

So, it sounds like even if her neighbors were "nosy" they wouldn't have really gotten to know her anyway.

 

[michmi]

http://www.wcvb.com/news/mummified-body-may-be-massachusetts-woman/24937500

Investigators are puzzled: There was no sign of foul play, and the key in the ignition was in the off position. The fuel tank had gas.

 

[JenniferTx]

I feel so bad for that poor woman. It is just hard to believe that no one missed her not being around. So sad. RIP

 

[Queena]

Maybe she was going to commit suicide then changed her mind. She could've leaned over the front seat and turned the car off. When she leaned back into a reclining position, she died. That could explain why the car was off, she changed her mind, but it was too late.

 

[kaki]

For some reason this story haunts me.. I noticed that they only provided a pic of her from high school...my god ..she was 39 when she died! So sad to die like that ...

 

[carbuff]

I wonder if she was getting something out of the back seat or under the front seat when she had a heart attack or something of that nature. If the door fell shut behind her, she would have been really hard to see.

 

[HMSHood]

I wonder if any of her relatives that are not estranged knew she had passed.

I wonder how often this type of thing happens since people know their neighbors less.

 

[Hogansmama]

Queena, I think you are right. An attempted suicide that she decided against at the last minute and it was too late. Something very similar happened to a very close relative of mine. I find it terribly sad that no one noticed. I tend to stick to myself but I take note when I haven't seen something of my neighbors in a week.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[OkieGranny]

http://www.freep.com/article/20140718/NEWS03/307180034/Pia-mummy-DNA-Pontiac

More than four months after a mummified body was discovered in the backseat of a SUV, authorities notified relatives of the Pontiac woman, letting them know DNA confirmed the remains belonged to Pia Farrenkopf.

Her body was discovered in March — about five years after authorities believe she died — but no dental records could be found, so the Oakland County Medical Examiner’s Office turned to the time-intensive process of using DNA. They told relatives this week that Farrenkopf had been positively identified.

The cause and manner of death were both ruled undeterminable, Oakland County Deputy Medical Examiner Dr. Bernardino Pacris said Thursday.

 

[newone]

This reminds me of the film Dreams of a Life, which is based on a true story. I'd recommend watching it if you can.

So tragic to be undiscovered and apparently not missed all of those years.

Thank you so much for posting this. I did a search on the film and the background story and found it fascinating. This could happen to so many -- it's not hard to understand at all.

Will be spreading the word on this film and the story. Very much appreciated the heads up on this.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Authorities Confirm Identity Of Mummified Remains Found In Detroit-Area Garage

July 18, 2014 6:31 AM

PONTIAC (WWJ/AP) - Authorities say they’ve confirmed that mummified remains of a woman found in a metro Detroit garage in March were those of the woman who lived alone at the home.

Authorities this week notified relatives that Pia Farrenkopf had been positively identified using DNA testing. Oakland County Deputy Medical Examiner Dr. Bernardino Pacris said the cause and manner of death were both ruled undeterminable.

A message posted to the “Mummified in Michigan” Facebook page, established in Farrenkopf’s memory, said the family can now have some closure and lay their loved one to rest.

“We may never know what happened to Pia and of course that is something no family ever wants to hear or accept but, we will never stop fighting to find answers and get justice for [her],” the message read. “We would like to thank those of you who have sent your thoughts and prayers our way.” ...

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2014/07...mmified-remains-found-in-detroit-area-garage/

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

July 18, 2014 at 6:44 am
Authorities confirm identity of mummified remains in Pontiac

Associated Press

Pontiac — Authorities say they’ve confirmed that mummified remains of a woman found in a garage in March were those of the woman who lived alone at the home.

The Detroit Free Press reports authorities this week notified relatives that Pia Farrenkopf had been positively identified using DNA testing...

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20140718/METRO02/307180042#ixzz37pBNprSl

 

[HMSHood]

Bump for a new article about Pia Farrenkopf. Reveals more about her.

Mummified woman was dead for 5 years and no one knew
http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/2015/02/28/mystery-mummified-body-year-later/24188637/

Sometimes, Pia Farrenkopf's family wouldn't hear from her for years at a time.

No letters. No visits. No phone calls. No hint of how the Pontiac woman was, where she was — or how she was living her life.

And then one day, one relative or another would go to the mailbox, and there would be a postcard from Pia. From Amsterdam or Austria. Ireland or Las Vegas. One Christmas Eve, she made a surprise call from the Italian Alps.

I wonder if anyone heard a car engine running from Farrenkopf's garage in 2009.

This part is interesting.

In January, the mortgage holder sent two men to inspect the house and garage and take photographs. They went into the garage and one of them opened the door of a 2003 green Jeep Liberty, searched for the registration and then left. They reported nothing unusual.

She was found inside the car mummified and they did not notice that time in January 2014. Very strange. That would be very noticeable.

 

[SeekingJana]

Lots of info in current news stories now. A friend of hers contacted the Daily Mail and talked about how she was so reclusive, and had no long- lasting friendships. She seemed to find reasons to cut people out of her life for all of her adult life. Siblings, co-workers, a fiance' in England when she was young. etc. She ended the friendship with the lady being interviewed because " they were too close". Nice photo of them together years earlier, around 2001.
Apparently she and her 9 siblings had a very bad childhood. There are comments that the mother, who died in 2012, had some children who had not spoken to her in 30 years. We just don't know what happened in the home life. Maybe she had RAD ( reactive attachment disorder) which prevented her from forming close attachments from infancy throughout her life, or depression for most of her life.

Also, the latest US article I read said she had significant and severe back pain, had been under the treatment of a doctor for the pain, and had been advised by the doctor to seek further treatment elsewhere. Sounds like she was possibly on heavy doses of pain meds. Most doctors will send this type of back pain patient to a neurosurgeon or pain specialist before their own prescribing pattern gets called into question.. Add that to the fact that it is recorded that she was worried about possible liver damage from her drinking because she drank quite heavily ( I'd think this was gleaned from a medical record as well- possibly to justify why lab tests were done to check liver function) .

This is a lady who left a cat and dog alone while she was traveling for so long that they had to be rescued from her house ( another house I think, years before). She said she had made no provisions for them. This is NOT normal behavior, and happened while she was employed. To me, this speaks of an emotional disconnect that started maybe a very long time before she died. I feel extremely sad that she didn't seek treatment, get help, reach out to ANYONE, apparently.

My theory on what I believed happened using best evidence and Occam's Razor- I think this was either a suicide or an accidental overdose of narcotic pain meds plus alcohol. Perhaps extremely low temperature in the garage hastened or caused an accidental death while she was impaired somewhat with alcohol and meds.

 

[pinklilies]

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/2015/02/28/mystery-mummified-body-year-later/24188637/

A more recent link on this sad story with pictures and timeline.

 

[iamnotagolem]

Here is the timeline from the article. http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/2015/02/28/mystery-mummified-body-year-later/24188637/


■ May 9, 2008: Farrenkopf's last day of work after resigning from her job.

■ May 2008: Her bank account had $87,199.80 in it. No deposits were made after that.

■ Oct. 15, 2008: She was ticketed in Pontiac for driving with a suspended license, expired plates and no proof of insurance.

■Feb. 25, 2009: A withdrawal of $1,500 was made from her bank account. Only electronic debits were made after that date.

■ On or after Feb. 25, 2009: Date of death listed for Farrenkopf by the Oakland County Medical Examiner's Office.

■ Nov. 2, 2010: Voting records showed Farrenkopf casting a ballot in the gubernatorial election, but investigators said they believe it's an error in the records and she didn't vote.

■ Around 2011: Farrenkopf's neighbors told the mail carrier they thought she abandoned her home, and the letter carrier marked it vacant and stopped delivering the mail.

■ March 1, 2013: Her last mortgage payment was made electronically.

■ Jan. 27, 2014: Two men went in to inspect the house and entered the garage, but Farrenkopf's body was not discovered.

■ March 5, 2014: Her body was discovered when two other men went into the home to take pictures and deal with a hole in the roof.

■ July 2014: Farrenkopf was positively identified through DNA. The cause and manner of death were both ruled "undeterminable."

 

[Morag]

Elinor Rigby...

 

[wendybtn]

See?! Dead people do vote in blue states! (Just joking, could not resist.)

 

[wendybtn]

Maybe she was going to commit suicide then changed her mind. She could've leaned over the front seat and turned the car off. When she leaned back into a reclining position, she died. That could explain why the car was off, she changed her mind, but it was too late.

If she was on heavy pain meds and a heavy drinker, as indicated in one of the other posts, it would not take much carbon monoxide to kill her. IMHO

 

[Austin023]

I know this is a very old thread, but I'm "bumping" it. I remember this case pretty well back when it was initially reported in 2014. Pia Farrenkopf was from South Boston, which is also my hometown (well almost, I grew up originally in Mission Hill).

While I generally accept the suicide/self-inflicted theory, a few things about this case never really say too well with me. Aside from the unusual circumstances of her death, certain things regarding her activity in the last couple of years of her life stuck out, especially the apparent failure of her fitness business venture. Any available sources are vague on this point, but she was sued by the landlord of the property where she'd intended to open her fitness business (she defaulted by not showing to court, so the landlord was awarded 100k USD as plaintiff, as Farrenkopf had according to records, broken the lease). It's unclear if any money was actually collected ...then she was sued by three separate plaintiffs for unpaid credit cards, again unclear what the outcome was aside from her default.

Either she was in a downward spiral and eventually collapsed from the stress, or there's more sinister elements involved, as one of her sister has claimed. She had over $85k USD in her bank when her last personal withdrawal was made for $1500 in early 2009. On her person, when body was found in 2014, was some $500 in cash. What happened to the other $1000?

No cause of death determined, and it's unclear if toxicology screens were able to be done, despite the presence of soft tissue and "mummified" internal organs. The other things I find odd are all the unopened mail found in her car, some already over a year old when she liked died in February, 2009. Plus the wine bottle, nearly empty, that had no fingerprints. Either it wasn't related to her death directly, or prints were simply not left on it when last touched...or even whipped off. It's a very strange case and I felt so bad for her. Whatever the case, it's apparent her life had taken a bad turn sometime around 2005.