The final words of a woman who’s mummified remains were found three and a half years after her death have been revealed, as well as the heartbreaking items found in her home.
Laura Winham, 38, lay dead in her apartment for three years unnoticed until her family discovered her remains.
It was found that the deaf woman - who would have been 41 at the time of her discovery - had been suffering from schizophrenia and low income prior to her death.
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One of her last calendar entries explained how she was ‘starving’, having wished she'd purchased a bag of rice during her previous grocery shop.
Winham’s body was ultimately found on May 24th, 2021 in Woking, Surrey, England after her brother grew concerned about her lack of contact.
Nicola, her sister, told the inquest on Tuesday (October 1) that the family last saw her in person in 2009, and their last contact via social media was in 2014.
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It was then that Winham wrote: “It is best to have minimum/no contact. And communications with the family. It is totally out of my hands. There is nothing I can do. Everything I say will get repeated and relayed back. Be patient.”
The family said in court: “We knew that contact with us exacerbated her mental health difficulties.”
While her diary extract suggested she had been living off cheese and potatoes, with ‘about five pounds left on me’ in cash, it wasn’t until October 2017 that her messages brought the realisation that she was in dire need of food.
She wrote: “It has been a whole month since my last food shop. I cannot believe I have survived this long”.
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When she was found, police also made the shockingly tragic discovery of what was present in her home, in terms of subsistence.
They found a tub of margarine, tomato sauce in her fridge and a mixture of herbs, spices, salt and vinegar in her pantry.
They also found bags of loose coins around the home.
A pathologist told the inquest at Surrey Coroner’s Court that her cause of death was ‘unascertainable’ as due to her condition, it was impossible to know how long she had been dead for.
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However, a calendar in Winham’s flat had marked off all dates of the year up until 1 November 2017, the court heard.
A coroner, Dr Karen Henderson read out the dairy which found how Winham was low on money and food supplies.
She read an entry dated September 28 2017: “My mobile gave up on 7 September. I got a Tesco run in before it died. I have slept weeks away… I haven’t stocked any food for months because I don’t know what’s happening.”
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Another extract from September 15 2017 read: “Wish I’d bought rice. Dreaming of (food). Anyway, I’m starving.”
Dr Henderson also spoke of how the woman had written recipes which ‘appeared to be from a cookbook with page numbers’.
Nicola told the court that her sister had a fear of leaving her home.
She also informed the court that her brother and mother visited her home after becoming concerned, and when nobody answered the door, her brother looked through the letter box.
She said: “They were shouting her name and looking through the letterbox. My brother saw what he thought was a seriously decomposed body.
“They called the police and forced entry. Inside they found a mummified and almost skeletal body. Both of them saw this and the shock can never be forgotten.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 to reach a 24-hour crisis center or you can webchat at 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.
Topics: Money, Food and Drink, Mental Health, Health, UK News
Britt Jones