Body of woman last seen months ago found in Connecticut

HARTFORD, Conn. -- The badly decomposed body of a woman and her dog were found inside a home, and a next-door neighbor said she hadn't seen the woman since February.

The woman's body was discovered early Friday afternoon by a landscaper, who called police. There was no sign of robbery or forced entry, and police said they don't believe the death is suspicious.

The woman may have died of natural causes, but an investigation would determine that, police said.

Police couldn't identify the body because it was in such bad condition. The Hartford Courant reported that property records show the house is owned by 48-year-old Debra Jurasus-Shriner, who neighbors said was a sickly, quiet woman who lived alone with a Siberian husky and kept to herself.

Stephani Alicea, who lived next door, said she last saw Jurasus-Shriner in February, and her mother asked police to check on the woman in May after mail began piling up in front of the house.

Police acknowledged that they had called about a possible body in the house, but they didn't say if officers went to investigate or what the department determined after that call.

On Saturday, Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra said he's ordering police, fire and emergency personnel to review the case and report the findings to him.

"We are a caring city and even the perception of an inappropriate response cannot be tolerated," he said in a statement.

"If something has gone wrong, I want to get to the bottom of it and take appropriate action. If it is determined that this case was mishandled, there will be consequences."

Neighbors said a strong odor had recently emanated from the house.

"You could smell it in my room, my kitchen," Alicea told the newspaper.

"We can't eat in the dining room anymore because of the smell."