Pennsylvania Homeowner Makes Shocking Discovery in Newly Bought House at Sheriff’s Sale

A decomposing body of a woman was discovered inside a Pennsylvania home soon after a new homeowner bought the property at a sheriff's sale. The grim discovery happened on the same day the homeowner purchased the house.

The home in South Londonderry Township in Lebanon County was put up for sale by the local sheriff after the previous homeowner, Sharlene Bence, also known as Sherlene Mikula, defaulted on the mortgage in April 2023, according to WGAL reports. T

The house was then auctioned by the sheriff and purchased by a new homeowner on April 14. On the same day, the decomposing body of the woman was discovered inside the house.

“The new owners came here, and they noticed that there was a problem with the house regarding a foul odor,” the neighbors said, according to WGAL.

Officers from the Lebanon County Coroner’s Office said that they responded to the home after a well-being check was requested. “A female resident of the home, whose name is withheld, holding notification of family, was pronounced dead on the scene,” the coroner’s office said.

According to the officials, the cause and manner of the woman's death were still under investigation, and more details will be released soon. An autopsy has been scheduled. After the call was made and officers responded to the location, a hazmat team was dispatched to the scene to remove the body.

“We just moved in here in November, and we knew nothing other than just seeing individuals walking through the house, shadows actually,” the neighbor told WGAL. “But I have never seen them personally,” the neighbor said. Other neighbors told the outlet that a husband and a wife lived at that home.

A sheriff’s sale in the state of Pennsylvania is a public real estate auction following a court-ordered foreclosure. The owner either did not pay the mortgage or taxes, according to the court. After the legal process, the county tries to sell the property in an auction and pay off the debt.

In this case, court documents showed that the person listed as the property owner defaulted on the mortgage in April 2023.

In Pennsylvania, prospective buyers usually cannot view the property's interior before purchase. This is because the previous owners may still live there until the deed is filed.