Three Skeletons Found Inside Connecticut Home After New Owner Buys It at Foreclosure Auction

A Connecticut man purchased a foreclosed home at a public auction earlier this month and found more than he bargained for when he arrived to inspect the property: the skeletal remains of three people inside.

The discovery — which has raised uncomfortable questions about how the home went unoccupied long enough for three people to die inside it, and what the legal fallout may look like — has set off an investigation by the Connecticut State Police and could upend the entire foreclosure sale.

What Happened

Edward Marchion won the bidding on a four-bedroom home on Stanwich Lane in Burlington, Connecticut, on June 6, paying $525,000 at a public auction against seven other bidders. He purchased the home "as is," as is standard in foreclosure sales.

When Marchion arrived at the property on June 14, he called police. Connecticut State Police troopers responded at 4:46 p.m. and found the skeletal remains of three people inside the home. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has not yet determined a cause of death, and identifications have not been confirmed. Police said there does not appear to be any criminal aspect to the deaths and no foul play is suspected.

The home, built in 2002 on just over two acres, had an unkempt lawn, overgrown vegetation, and shrubs blocking part of the porch. State Marshal Grant S. Carragher, who had visited the property before the auction, said the driveway was so overgrown he had to climb over a balcony just to reach the front door. He knocked and no one answered. A neighbor told him residents had not been seen at the property "in years."

The Previous Owners

The home had been owned by Paul Cash and Sally Anne Cash, according to reporting by WFSB. The foreclosure process began in August 2025, after attorney Jason Brooks, representing the lender, filed a complaint noting the Cashes had purchased the home in 2019 with a $385,000 loan and defaulted. At the time of the auction, $373,201.14 remained owed to the lender.

A neighbor told local media she recalled seeing an older man taking out the trash at the property several months ago, suggesting at least one resident may have been alive more recently than currently known. The identities of the three sets of remains have not yet been confirmed by the medical examiner.

A Legal Mess With No Easy Answer

The discovery has created a significant legal complication for everyone involved. Chris Thogmartin, the independent third-party attorney appointed by the court to oversee the sale, told NBC News that if the remains turn out to be those of the defaulting borrowers, their date of death could invalidate court findings made against them and potentially void the auction order itself.

"Depending on when the borrowers died — assuming they died — their heirs would have had standing in all of the court proceedings and might have been denied a chance to answer," Thogmartin said.

The home, despite the final hammer price of $525,000, is likely worth more than $800,000 on the open market, Thogmartin said — meaning the borrowers' heirs could be in line for a significant windfall even after paying off the outstanding loan balance.

Marchion, his attorney, and the attorney representing the lender could not be reached for comment.

Why Didn't Anyone Check?

The case has drawn attention to a gap that exists in foreclosure auction processes. Thogmartin told NBC Connecticut that he routinely sends a letter to the property owner before auction suggesting that interior access would benefit bidders, but noted that owners are not required to provide it. In this case, no one was able to gain entry before the sale.

Jaden Slipsky, a local pool cleaner who works in the area, said he was stunned that neither family nor neighbors had raised an alarm sooner. "I think everyone's kind of in their life, trying to get through the day, but I would definitely be concerned about what's going on," he said. "But you would think their family would call."

Burlington First Selectman Doug Thompson said the community wanted answers but cautioned against speculation while the investigation was ongoing. "I don't want to get into any type of speculation," he said.

The Connecticut State Police investigation remains active. Causes of death and identities of the three people found inside are pending results from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

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