STRANGE DEATHS
UNUSUAL WAYS OF SHUFFLING OFF THIS MORTAL COIL
No one knew what had happened to 61-year-old Mary Cerruti, last seen in the spring of 2015. The lawn of her bungalow in Houston, Texas, grew wild; a window broke; mail piled up. The signs of her disappearance troubled neighbours, who had rallied behind her to resist a massive new apartment complex that had gobbled up much of the surrounding property. Then, on 4 March 2017, new owners moved in and discovered a gap in the attic wall, behind which were human bones. They also found a pair of red spectacles similar to those worn by Ms Cerruti. At the time of the report, authorities were trying to determine if the remains were those of Cerruti, which seemed very likely. [AP] houstonchronicle. com, 6 Mar 2017.
A suspected burglar died after getting trapped in the roof space of a chemist shop in West Yorkshire. His body was discovered by staff at Rowlands Pharmacy in Queensbury, near Bradford. It is thought the man removed roof tiles to get into the building and was asphyxiated when his clothing became caught. It appeared he had been there for several weeks. BBC News, 23 Mar 2017.
Twins found dead at the bottom of the White Cliffs of Dover on New Year’s Day had rucksacks containing the ashes of their dead parents. Bernard and Muriel Burgess, 59, had lived with their mother in Flintshire until she died in 2014. The unmarried twins, who were said to be inseparable, then moved to Elton in Cheshire. Their bodies were found near that of 45-year-old Gulf War veteran Scott Enion from Manchester. A coroner recorded an open conclusion for the twins’ death and one of suicide for Mr Enion. Daily Post, 11 Jan; D.Telegraph, 22 Mar 2017.
A customer who had been overcharged about 12 pence for noodles in Wuhan City, central China, on 18 February attacked a restaurateur with his own meat cleaver, cut off his head and threw it into a roadside rubbish bin. The victim was named as Mr Yao, 42, a divorced father of three. The suspect, Mr Hu, 22, was quickly arrested. He had had casual jobs around China since leaving his hometown in Sichuan province at the age of 16. His relatives, who had him committed to a psychiatric hospital at the end of last year, had lost touch. The suspect and two other men were charged 5 yuan (about 60p) for their bowls of noodles, instead of 4 yuan as was advertised, and a fight started. Times, 20 Feb 2017.
A motorcycle rider died in a freak accident in San Bernardino, California, on 11 April. Fabian Zepeda, 27, was decapitated when he drove into a wire stretched across a road from a snapped utility pole. Minutes earlier, a driver had lost control of a Ford Taurus, which hit a mailbox, ran across a lawn, and hit a wooden telephone pole that snapped in half, causing a wire to fall across Macy Street. [AP] Los Angeles Times, 12 April 2017
Fredzania ‘Zanie’ Thompson, 19, an aspiring model pregnant with her first child, was killed during a photoshoot in Navasota, Texas, on 10 March. She was standing between two sets of tracks when a train approached. She moved out of the way, but was unaware that another train was coming in the opposite direction on the other tracks, and she was struck down. It was her first ever photoshoot. BBC News, 16 Mar; (Queensland) Courier Mail, 17 Mar 2017.
Thanet Inwong, 36, was killed on 26 February when a bullet fired in a wedding procession hit him at his house in Ban Huay Khainao, near Chonburi in Thailand. Police found dozens of 11mm, 9mm and .38 calibre cartridge casings along the route of the procession, and a video confirmed that shooting in the air was taking place. Thailvisa.com, 27 Feb 2017.
Panupong Thanomslip, 32, from Chiang Mai in Thailand, died after his shotgun accidentally discharged on 18 February, shooting him in the right thigh, genitals, and lower abdomen. He was taken to hospital, where he died the following morning. Police presumed that he was trying to cock the barrel with his leg, causing the gun to discharge. Coconuts.co, 21 Feb 2017.
Theprit Palee, a popular 25-year-old medium, performed a traditional spirit dance in front of spectators in Chiang Mai in Thailand, on 24 April. The folk ritual is believed to honour the ghosts of ancestors and in previous shows the blade of the sword broke when it was pressed against his chest; but on this occasion the weapon failed to snap, causing Palee to stab himself. He died later in hospital. Metro, 25 April 2017.