The skeletal remains of a retired police detective were uncovered earlier this year inside her trash-filled rural Connecticut home—seven months after she was last heard from—in what authorities have described as one of the worst hoarding cases they’ve ever encountered.
Mary Notarangelo, 73, a former detective with the Bridgeport Police Department, was reported missing in the summer of 2024 after a friend received a troubling text on June 12, in which Notarangelo said she was experiencing severe abdominal pain, vomiting, and had fallen. Concerned after weeks of silence, the friend eventually contacted police to request a welfare check.
But despite several search attempts, Notarangelo wasn’t found until February 24, 2025, when an environmental cleanup crew was dispatched to her Glastonbury home to begin clearing out what authorities described as “mountains of garbage.” The team discovered her skeletal remains buried beneath a heap of trash just behind the front door—only after using a small excavator to dig through the debris.
A Search Obstructed by Hoarding
Glastonbury police say they visited Notarangelo’s home multiple times throughout the summer and fall of 2024, beginning with an initial search on July 3. However, extreme hoarding conditions made the residence nearly impenetrable.
“There was no path whatsoever. The only way to move from room to room was by climbing over the garbage,” wrote Officer Anthony Longo in a report. The house was filled with decaying waste, tangled cobwebs, and spiders. Drone footage was attempted, but even that effort failed when the device was disabled by thick webs inside the home.
Subsequent attempts on July 5, July 11, July 12, and November 20 all ended without locating Notarangelo. The overwhelming clutter and putrid stench made it impossible to search effectively, officials said.
Tragic Conditions and Missed Warnings
When her remains were finally uncovered, investigators also found a live cat, numerous dead birds in cages, and mice freely roaming the home, which was saturated with filth and decay. The exact cause of death could not be determined due to the skeletal state of her remains, according to the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
“She, as quirky as she was, was a good person at heart,” said Patti Steeves, a longtime friend and former colleague who had worked as a civilian employee in the Bridgeport Police Department. Steeves said she had previously expressed concern about Notarangelo’s hoarding, but the retired detective refused to talk about it.
“She was a bird fanatic,” Steeves recalled, noting that her friend kept about 20 birds, as well as a cat and a dog.
A Decorated Career, a Tragic End
Notarangelo served with the Bridgeport Police Department from 1985 to 1996, rising to the rank of detective in 1992 and sergeant in 1993, before retiring on disability following an on-duty car crash, according to department records.
Her tragic story has prompted renewed discussions about the challenges law enforcement and social services face when navigating extreme hoarding situations—especially when those conditions obstruct emergency response efforts.
Authorities have not confirmed why it took so long to locate Notarangelo’s body but continue to cite the extreme state of the home as the main barrier.
The Glastonbury Police Department has not yet commented further on the case.