Couple found buried alive in trash at Chicago home

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 26/05/2010 (5912 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

CHICAGO — David O’Neal hadn’t seen his sister for six to eight years.

Then Monday night, her neighbour called him with unbelievable news: Thelma Gaston and her husband, Jesse — both in their 70s — had been found buried alive under mounds of trash and debris in their South Side home, possibly for as long as three weeks.

"I was surprised. I wanted to come to Chicago as soon as possible," said O’Neal, who lives in the Seattle area. "I love and care about her."

A fire official on the scene said the couple had not been heard from for three weeks, and Thelma Gaston, 75, had injuries that resembled rat bites. Both she and Jesse Gaston, 76, were taken to hospital in critical condition. A nurse there said Tuesday their conditions were improved, though they still were in intensive care.

Thelma Gaston may have fallen through the debris and become trapped. When her husband tried to come to her aid, he apparently became trapped as well, said Fire Department spokesman Kevin MacGregor.

The Gastons’ neighbours shared O’Neal’s shock. They rarely saw the couple — Thelma, a retired school teacher, and Jesse, a retired zoologist.

"It just brought me to tears to see the condition they were found in," said Reola Valentine, 59, who called 311 Monday and asked for a well-being check that led to the couple’s discovery.

She said she didn’t see Jesse mowing his lawn for quite some time and saw that his truck parked outside was accumulating parking tickets.

During the last few weeks, she said, various people came to their door and, when their knocking went unanswered, frequently came to her to ask if she knew anything.

Chicago police showed up at the home and noticed an overpowering odour. Officers called the fire department to make a forced entry.

The stench was so strong that fire personnel had to don hazardous material suits to deal with the debris. Paramedics reported seeing rodents on the property.

The couple apparently were the only residents in the two-storey apartment building.

"It (the residence) was packed from floor to ceiling," said Grand Crossing District Police Lt. Dale Kingsley.

Rosie Gaston Funches, Jesse’s sister, said she knew something was wrong when the couple had their phone disconnected about three weeks ago.

"I’ve tried repeatedly to contact my brother, but he’s made no effort (to be reachable)," she said. "If I knew, I’d clean that mess up myself."

O’Neal said he had tried calling his sister but hadn’t been able to reach either her or her husband. When he had visited Chicago, he tried to visit his sister and her husband but "nobody answered the door."

— Chicago Tribune