Neighbors, stepson notice Turkish woman’s death three years later

In Izmir, in western Türkiye, the bones of an elderly woman who had been missing for nearly three years were found in her home, where she lived alone. It was revealed that she had not been in contact with her stepson, R.Ç., since the pandemic.

Following his request, it was discovered that the elderly woman had passed away, and authorities confirmed there were no signs of foul play. An investigation into the incident has been launched.

The incident took place in Barbaros Mahallesi, Konak district, on 340th Street. The 80-year-old retired nurse, Gülşen Çoğulu, had been living alone since losing her husband 23 years ago.

It was learned that she had not been in contact with her stepson, R.Ç., from her husband’s first marriage since the pandemic. A few years later, unable to reach her stepmother, R.Ç. reported the situation to the police. Police, along with a locksmith, went to her house.

After entering the house with the locksmith’s help, the police team encountered a pile of trash. Upon further examination of the apartment, Çoğulu’s bones were found on her bed in the bedroom, with some of her clothes decomposed.

Forensic teams determined that she had passed away a long time ago, and only bones remained. After the prosecutor’s examination at the scene, her bones were sent to the Izmir Forensic Medicine Institute. No signs of a crime were found in the house.

A local resident, Serkan Önder, commented, “She lived in our neighborhood. We thought Gülşen aunt was placed in a nursing home about six years ago by her relatives. The neighbors last saw her about seven years ago. She was sick. She was living in a pile of trash in the apartment. Due to the attic location and the trash in the house, we suspected that the smell came from these reasons. The windows of the house were open. Didn’t any of her relatives wonder about her?”

Tarık Keskin, a neighbor and local shopkeeper, who had gone to her house for repairs about eight years ago, said, “Our aunt was old and unwell. Her toilet was clogged, and I went to her house to fix it. There was trash in her house. We couldn’t enter because of the smell. I asked people a few times about her. I couldn’t see her and it caught my attention. She rarely went outside.”