It had been months before anyone physically checked on an elderly man who was found "mummified" in his home Tuesday, officials said.
Eugene Davis, 70, of Blue Island was discovered in his dilapidated home with no running water or electricity, according to the Chicago Tribune. Davis was found on the floor next to his bed. His cause of death was natural causes, though a formal identification has not been released by the medical examiner’s office.
It's not clear exactly how long Davis had been dead, according to the Tribune. As neighbors piece together the timeline, they said they had seen Davis’ sister bring him groceries every few weeks but hadn’t seen her for several months. She died last fall, the Tribune reports.
Davis’ family told police they last heard from him in January. Concerns for Davis’ well-being took a serious turn when neighbors hadn’t seen Davis get his mail from his box.
When his mailbox became too full of unopened letters for the postman to make deliveries, neighbors said the mail carrier stopped delivering the mail and requested police conduct a well-being check.
Police knocked on Davis’ door about a month ago, according to neighbors, and received no answer.
