Hoarder dead after 1st floor falls into basement

Authorities became suspicious when a postal customer's mail was not collected for two days.

Police say an apparent hoarder has died after the cluttered first floor of her home collapsed into the basement.

Authorities say 66-year-old Beverly Mitchell was found in her Cheshire home Saturday, two days after a postal carrier called police to request a welfare check because her mail was piling up.

Cheshire, Connecticut, police say they went to the home Thursday but didn't find anyone.

Police say the first floor was piled waist-high with clutter, and they didn't realize until Friday that the floor had collapsed.

Officials say they found Mitchell's body while removing debris with a backhoe through a hole in the house.

Police say Mitchell had declined offers of help from social service officials over the years.