A person who purchased a foreclosed home in Burlington, Connecticut, discovered the skeletal remains of three individuals upon first entering the residence. The property was sold "as is" at a foreclosure auction.
Discovery of the Remains
The Connecticut state police reported receiving a call at 4:46 p.m. on Sunday from the new homeowner, who reported the remains. The police stated that the medical examiner "has not determined a cause of death; however, there is no indication of anything suspicious and no indication of any criminal aspect. The identification of the three individuals is not yet confirmed."
Background of the Property
According to property records, the home was purchased in 2019. The foreclosure process began in August 2025. Connecticut marshal Grant Carragher told CTInsider that the couple who bought the home in 2019 could not be reached throughout the foreclosure process. Carragher believes the property had been abandoned for at least a year, and neighbors reported not having seen the residents in years.
A court approved the home for a foreclosure auction on March 23, which was held on June 6, to sell the house in "as is condition."
Challenges of Auction Purchases
Chris Thogmartin, the independent third-party attorney appointed by the court to manage the sale, explained to NBC Connecticut why auction bidders often cannot see a house's interior before buying. "I always send out a letter, like the week before the auction saying, listen, you know, there's a foreclosure auction scheduled. It would be helpful for the bidders to have interior access. You're not required to provide this, but I think it might be in your best interest," Thogmartin said. "We never got a response to that, which is not unusual."
Legal Implications
The discovery of the remains could invalidate the sale. In a motion filed in court by Thogmartin this week, he wrote that the bodies were "in an advanced state of decomposition, indicating that they had been there for some time." He added that "while a disturbing mystery in and of itself, the discovery of these human remains poses a possible question as to the validity of the foreclosure judgment, depending upon the identify of the bodies and the time of death."
Thogmartin asked for "direction" from the court, including returning the winning auction bidder's deposit of $82,000 if the auction and closing were to be canceled due to the discovery of the remains.
