Foul play ruled out, autopsy inconclusive

Yesterday morning, at about 10:00, after the odor of rotting flesh started to become oppressive in a neighborhood in Ranchito, Corozal, concerned neighbors of Frenchwoman Michelin Nayard, 73, a retiree who had been living in the village for years, went into her house, the door of which was open, to see what was happening. They found her decomposing body on the floor in the bedroom. The body was identified by her son-in-law.

Police went to the scene, and due to the advanced state of decomposition of the body, an onsite autopsy was conducted promptly, and immediately after the exam Nayard was buried at the Ranchito Village Cemetery.

The result of the post-mortem exam, however, was inconclusive due to the advanced state of the body’s decomposition. Police are not suspecting foul play, since no signs of violence were observed on the body, and they believe that the woman died of natural causes.

Neighbors told police that Nayard was last seen on Tuesday, October 8, about two weeks before her body was found. The neighbors said that Nayard’s house, and the room in which she was found, were ransacked, and they strongly believe that she was murdered. They also say that a suspicious blue van was seen coming out of her yard on the afternoon of October 8.

Police have since launched an investigation, but are treating the death as being due to natural causes.