Spanish investigators have been left stunned after discovering that the body of a 79-year-old woman was devoured from the waist up by her seven cats.
Discover our latest podcast
A deadly smell
The woman in question, Clara Ines Tobon, was said to have gone missing for some time after tenants from the Madrid property noticed the woman had stopped coming out to feed stray cats as she was known to do.
Authorities were called after neighbours reported a foul stench coming from behind the door. The smell was so bad that it was able to travel to every apartment neighbouring her flat.
When firefighters broke down the door to her apartment, detectives say they found the woman's body half eaten and suspect she might have been dead for up to three months already.
Reports form El Mundo claim that one police officer on the scene said the sight of the half-eaten elderly woman's body was 'the worst thing they had seen in their entire career.'
Battling with Diogenes syndrome
Tobon's family members say she had been ill for some time and had even been battling with Diogenes syndrome which is a condition that enables those afflicted to hoard trash, animals and neglect themselves by withdrawing from society. The state of the apartment was found to be filled with rubbish and animal faeces.
An autopsy is being conducted to find out what exactly was the old woman's cause of death. Five out of the seven cats were found dead as well, likely due to a lack of food and water. The two surviving cats were found in critical conditions and were brought to a local Animal Protection Center for treatment. Tests will be performed on their stomachs to look for the woman's remains.
