Body found in deserted house

COLUMBUS (AP) -- A woman who complained about people repeatedly stealing from her neighbor's deserted house says one of the burglars came to her door to say he found a body buried in the debris and trash that cluttered the home.
The man asked Jackie Lindsay to call police Tuesday then fled. Authorities were trying to determine Wednesday whether the body was that of the homeowner, who hadn't been seen for months.
There were no obvious signs of foul play, police Detective Pat Dorn said Tuesday. An autopsy was planned to determine the identity and cause of death.
Police had been called to the two-story house owned by Joyce Maitland, 68, three times before, but never found a body.
Understanding it
"If you would see the house, you would probably understand it," Dorn said. "You can't take a step without stepping on 6 inches of trash."
Lindsay has called police before after seeing people take furniture, framed pictures and other items from the home, she said.
"Last Saturday, I saw a guy take out a chair over his head," she said.
The house was left open, and police said the mail was stopped more than a year ago. Maitland lived alone and spent months at a time away from home, caring for relatives in Brooklyn, N.Y., Lindsay said.
A son who arrived at the house Tuesday afternoon told police that Maitland was estranged from her children, and they hadn't talked for about a year.
"They argued over the cleanliness of the house, her living habits," Dorn said.