Police In Arizona Responding To Burglary In Progress Discover Mummified Corpse In Bathtub

A burglary investigation took a grisly turn after officers discovered a mummified corpse in a bathtub at an Arizona home, authorities said.

Around 3:30 a.m. on Sept. 10, police in Bullhead City responded to the report of a burglary in progress at the residence.

Officers said they noted “pry marks on the door indicating forced entry into the home” and found Christine Lee Waters, 65, allegedly rummaging through the property.

Walters allegedly had also been in the home two days earlier and “removed purses, bags and clothing of the victim to attempt to sell online,” police said.

While still on the scene, police said officers discovered a body “in a mummified state” they believed was the homeowner, who neighbors said they had not seen in around a year and assumed had moved away.

“It is unknown how long the body had been in the house,” police said.

The Mohave County Medical Examiner's Office was attempting to determine the cause of the homeowner’s death, CBS News reported.

Walters, who claimed she was unaware the body was in the tub, was arrested and booked into the Mohave County jail on two counts of burglary.

Detectives then served a search warrant on Walter’s home and vehicle and allegedly located more of the deceased homeowner’s possessions, including credit cards, a driver’s license and a birth certificate, police said.

Walters could face more charges for the items in her home and vehicle as well as for drug and drug paraphernalia possession, according to authorities.