Police are now investigating the cause of death of a woman found fully decomposed in an apartment unit that she shared with her four adult children.
On Oct. 21, Davidson County Sherif went to an apartment located at 305 North Second Street to serve an eviction notice. The situation turned into something disturbing when they discovered a decomposed body under a pile of clothes.
Details of the 911 call revealed that when the deputy asked the residents who is upstairs, they told him it's their mother. The children were also asked how long has their mother been deceased, but they could say for certain; they only said that it'd been years.
She lived with her four children - all intellectually disabled
Laronda Jolly, 56, lived in the apartment on Joseph Avenue with her four children - two 27-year-old twin boys, a 27-year-old woman, and a 30-year-old woman. The adult children, which according to reports, are all intellectually disabled, continued living in the apartment even after Jolly's death, and none of them ever told anyone about their mother's death.
Laronda's brother, Anthony, told WKRN that his sister was found on a bed, with clothes piled on top of her. The children stayed in the apartment with their decaying mother, he said. As to why the children did that, he said that they were just obeying what their mother said, to just let her lay on the bed and not to call anybody no matter what happens.
Speaking to WSMV, Anthony said he doesn't understand and will probably never understand why they chose to stay in that apartment with their mother's decaying remains.
Siblings misled their uncle
He admitted that while he and his sister didn't have a close relationship, he does call her always to check in on how she is doing. However, over two years ago, he visited her, but nieces and nephews said that their mother was asleep and said all other excuses to turn him away.
He then tried calling his sister on the phone but noticed that he was speaking to a different person who is just impersonating his sister. He said that they lied to him all the time and would not tell him the truth.
In late August, he called Metro for a wellness check, but officers reported that Laronda wasn't home at the time they did visit the apartment. And last Wednesday, he found out what happened to his sister and that the children are being evicted from their home.
According to News Channel 5, autopsy reports revealed no evidence of foul play or obvious signs of trauma. However, it will likely be impossible to determine the exact cause of death, given that there is very little left of her remains.
Jolly's medical history is now being reviewed to determine some type of health condition that could have caused her death; she had suffered from seizures before, her children told the police.
No charges have been announced against the siblings, who are now being assisted with their lodging and basic needs by a local ministry organization.
Anthony said that his sister is the kind of person that people meeting her for the time would easily fall in love with. As for any health condition that his sister might have had, he said he didn't know about it.
