In a grim and stomach-turning case that has captured public attention, police body camera footage reveals the horrifying conditions in which the remains of retired Connecticut detective Mary Notarangelo were found. The 73-year-old former Bridgeport cop had been missing for over eight months before her skeletal remains were discovered buried under towering piles of garbage inside her secluded Glastonbury home.
The disturbing video, released by the Glastonbury Police Department following a Freedom of Information request, shows officers struggling to gain entry into the house, with heaps of trash pressing heavily against the front door. The property itself is remote, set back deep within dense woodland, and many of the windows were boarded up, adding to the eerie isolation surrounding the case.
Inside, the scene was one of extreme hoarding and neglect. The footage captured used toilet paper, discarded cans, plastic bottles, dead birds, mice, and even a lone living cat among the debris. Hazmat teams in full protective gear were forced to navigate through the clutter, often ducking under mountains of rubbish piled ceiling-high. One officer was heard remarking on the overpowering stench, saying, “You can taste the foulness in your mouth,” as the team painstakingly searched the grim environment.
Mary Notarangelo, who had a long career in law enforcement starting in the mid-1980s and rising to the rank of sergeant before her forced retirement due to injuries sustained in a car accident, had last been in contact with friends in June 2024. She reportedly complained about health issues including falls, vomiting, and abdominal pain just weeks before she was reported missing in July of that year. A concerned friend who had come to check on her noticed unopened deliveries of bird seed left outside for her pet birds, which triggered the missing person report.
Despite the prolonged search, it wasn’t until February 2025 that police discovered Notarangelo’s remains, hidden beneath the mountains of filth inside her own home. The exact cause and manner of her death remain undetermined, pending further investigation by the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
The case is being described as one of the most severe hoarding situations ever encountered by the Glastonbury Police Department. Kevin Szydlo, spokesperson for the department, expressed how difficult and heartbreaking the discovery was for all involved.
Friends remember Notarangelo as a dedicated detective with a strong spirit, whose career was sadly cut short due to injuries. The shocking conditions in which she was found have sparked conversations about mental health, isolation, and the dangers of extreme hoarding, especially among vulnerable individuals living alone.
As investigations continue, authorities are urging community members to check on neighbors and loved ones regularly, particularly those who live in isolation, to prevent similar tragedies.