Forum Topic

Pensioners body lay undiscovered for 6 months

Further to my appeal for help on Jan 30th in Ealing Today news letter I was hoping that somebody may be able to offer me some advice on what I could do?Pensioner's Body Lay Undiscovered for Six MonthsFamily seek help in mystery of Betty Walsh Related Links Betty (on left) with her brother John and sister-in-law May taken several years ago.In the photo Betty's hair is dyed dark red, but may well have greyed.ActonW3.com, ChiswickW4.com and EalingToday.co.uk ParticipateComment on this story on the forum The decomposing body of a 76 year old woman lay for six months under a pile of post at her run-down property in Southall.The family of Betty Walsh travelled to Ealing from Ireland in November 2011 concerned they had not heard from her for some time.They made the grim discovery when police broke into the near derelict house on Lyndhurst Avenue.A coroner's report said the body was 'in an advance state of decomposition of mummification type.. which is not inconsistent with a perceived post mortem interval of six months.' The cause of death was unascertained and, at the inquest in May last year, the verdict was left open although it's not thought she died in suspicious circumstances. The house had broken windows and no heating or running water and neighbours said they didn't think anybody lived there.Her family believe she may have only used it as a mail collection point and didn't find any of her personal belongings.Last February the Coroner issued an appeal for anyone who might have known Betty, or knew where she may have otherwise lived, but there were no leads and her family have now contacted us for help.It's thought she once owned a property in Chiswick, but there are no details, nor of the will that she is thought to have made in the UK.Caroline Walsh from County Kildare says her Great Aunt may have led some sort of double life and she wants to solve the puzzle. She says it's a total tragedy that her life ended in this way:''Despite my efforts I have found no information on her at all e.g medical history. There were no personal belongings in this house which leads me to believe she did live somewhere else. She had been a state registered nurse and was a very caring woman, somebody must know this lady and I am very eager to try find out how this happened.'' Can you help? If you can please contact the editor30th January 2013

Caroline Walsh ● 4833d7 Comments

To give Caroline every assistance in solving this sad mystery several of our Local Forums are now involved: Acton, Ealing and Chiswick.Whilst Betty Walsh owned a house near the Iron Bridge, Uxbridge Road..along from Ealing Hospital, Richard Jennings on W4.com gathered the information that a work pension was paid to Betty by the London Borough of Brent. |That was an important development.  In which case we should perhaps extend this publicity to the Shepherds Bush and Hammersmith Forums too. and northwards to Wembley etc!We have pictures to circulate to. (next message)Here are a few facts:oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooBrent? Southall? Ealing? Chiswick?..*Betty came from Ireland to the UK in 1951 at the age of 16.*She became a State Registered Nurse and a Midwife.*At some stage she had lived in Grove Park Terrace, Chiswick, W4 West London.*In 1978, aged 43, he bought a house in Lyndhurst Avenue, Southall, Middleex UB1 3DUand she owned the house for 33 years. In later years the house was very derelect, uninhabitable even and yet she still called there regularly to collect her mail..* So where did she live?* Did he have friends?* A pension was paid to her by the London Borough of BRENT (in north -west London)a borough to the north east of Ealing, and Southall (and north of Chiswick).* Her family say that they have accompanied the Police on a door to door enquiry in Lyndhurst Avenue to no avail.oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooWouldn't it be wonderful to solve this mystery? Your help and suggestions welcome.Betty was Caroline Walsh's Aunt and the family in Ireland are busy seeking more leads.

Jim Lawes ● 4832d