NASHVILLE (NewsNation Now) — The body of decomposing woman was found by authorities serving an eviction order at a Nashville apartment complex last week.
The woman identified as, 56-year-old Laronda Jolly, was found last Wednesday. Investigators believe based on the level of decomposition that she had been dead for about two years.
Her brother, Anthony Jolly, told NewsNation affiliate WKRN that his sister had been deceased for even longer.
“There was nothing left but bones, it was just a skeleton,” said Jolly. “I called my niece, and I asked her how long had my sister been deceased and when she said since early 2017 – I was shocked.”
Jolly said his sister lived with her four adult children. He said all of the children have intellectual disabilities.
He added that he and his sister weren’t close, but he always called to check in on how she was doing.
“Over the last few years my nieces and nephews kept saying, ‘well she’s not here, yada yada …the whole nine yards – so I called Metro to do a wellness check,” Jolly said.
Jolly said Metro police officers did the wellness check back in late August, but reported his sister wasn’t home at the time. He said he found out on Wednesday that his nieces and nephews were being evicted from the home, and that his sister was deceased.
The officers weren’t able to make contact with his sister back in August because she was hidden within the apartment.
“She was on a bed, they piled clothes on top of her body and they stayed in the apartment with their decaying mother,” the brother said. “They knew better, but they were going by what their mother said, they were obeying their mother’s wishes – just let her lay there, no matter what. Don’t call anybody, and that’s what they done.”
Metro police said right now there are no obvious signs of foul play but added that Laronda Jolly had a history of seizures.
“If she had a health condition, I didn’t know about it,” her brother said.
In a 911 call from a Davidson County deputy to a dispatcher, the deputy describes the state of the apartment.
Caller: “So evidently she’s been dead a long time up there. They’ve just got clothes and stuff piled up on top of her.”
Dispatcher: “Somebody piled clothes on top of her?”
Caller: “Yeah, they say she’s been deceased for some years up here in this bed.”
A local ministry organization is helping the four adult children with lodging and basic needs.
No charges have been announced at this time, and additional details are pending the results of the medical examiner.
NewsNation affiliate WKRN contributed to this report.
