Skeleton Found in Home’s Walls Identified as Previous Resident

Skeletal remains found in a home’s walls have been identified as the remains of the previous home owner.

On Tuesday, the Harris County Coroner’s Office identified the remains of Mary Stewart Cerruti, 61, who had been reported missing in 2015, PEOPLE reports. While the cause of death cannot be determined due to the state of the remains, authorities believe that Cerruti may have fallen through her attic floor and become wedged between the walls, leading to her death.

“In the attic, there was a broken board that led down to the space. Law enforcement thinks she may have been up in the attic and fell through the attic floor,” said Tricia Bentley, spokesperson for the medical examiner. “It is a one story home with an attic so she was found on the first floor. There was some space between the walls where a person could fit.”

New homeowners discovered the remains in March 2017, leading detectives to cut a hole in the wall to remove the remains. Degraded clothing, athletic shoes and a pair of eyeglasses had also been found.

Authorities were able to identify the remains as that of Cerruti by the glasses found at the scene, which Cerruti had worn while attending a February 2013 meeting that was captured on video footage. A relatively new crown on the right canine of the skull also helped authorities identify the remains.

Cerruti’s neighbors first grew concerned about the 61-year-old in the summer of 2015 when they noticed mail piling up in front of her house. Six dead cats had also been found inside of the house. Her home eventually went into foreclosure, with new residents moving in on March 4, 2017. They later discovered the skeletal remains in the wall.